Hoh river trail to blue glacier - 5 days

We scored enchantment core zone permits but due to the fire and smoke we changed our plans. We set out on a Monday morning and the parking was empty and crowds non existent. We pushed to 5 Mile Island or first night for a short first day. Saw a bunch of ruffed grouse right on the trail and they didn't seem to care. Went 10 miles up to elk lake the second day which was a grind. I recommend getting water at Martin Creek before you get to elk lake because the lake is hard to reach and scummy looking. Day three we went up to the glacier without our packs and it was incredible. The washout/cable ladder is sketchy and looks worse than it is. The most dangerous part is getting to the rope. Go slow and take your time. Go individually as the rocks are very loose and come down very easily, and will hurt anyone below as they're in the direct path. The rocky section right before the glacier is easy to navigate with a pretty obvious trail marked with cairns. On the final ascent to the glacier, each of my group has the same reaction upon first sight. "Holy ****!" One tip, bring a jacket because it's pretty chilly up on the ridge overlooking the glacier.

It's a beautiful hike, well worth the effort. Easily one of the best hikes and payoffs I've had in Washington.

The trail wanders through prehistoric looking rainforest next to a beautiful river before ascending to a rugged mountain and massive glacier. There's so much packed into this trail it's something you have to experience.

Days 4-5 were backtracking or way out. Elk lake to happy 4 camp site and then happy 4 to the trailhead. I liked happy 4 much better than 5 Mile. It felt more secluded and you're right on the river. There were bear cables at each site but it didn't seem like people really used them, or hung their packs instead of their food.

Going during the middle of the week was excellent. We would go hours without seeing a soul. The hike out Friday was very busy. The parking lot was full and the line to get in was long.

The weather was also fantastic. Highs of 60s and lows of 50s. Slightly overcast and a breeze. No bugs.

Arrived at the park entry at 1045 am to a short line to enter. Signs were posted saying the parking lot is full. Waited about 30 minutes for entry, and cars parked everywhere possible. The trail is in good shape except for a very large tree before Tom creek. I have never seen it so dry and dusty here, you could smell the dry dirt, even the moss and ferns were crying for rain. 
Very crowded for a mid week adventure, forcing a pull over every 5 minutes or so for the mass of people on the trail. Talked to a hiker coming out a day early because he couldn’t get a camp site at 5 mile as it was to full, even though he was permitted for a spot. 

Took 3 days to do this absolute stunner of a trial. Stayed at Lewis Meadows on night one and at Elk Lake on night two. Would definitely recommend this pairing of campsites if doing two nights - both for spreading out the distance/elevation and for vibes.

The hike to Lewis Meadows is flat and short enough that by getting a morning start I was able to get to camp around midday and snag one of the prime spots right by the river and just relax. The spots are close together but the river is so loud that it will likely drown out your neighbors. The same cannot be said for Elk Lake, which is so quiet you could hear practically everything. 

Elk Lake was a great base camp for hiking to the glacier. There were maybe a dozen people on the trail up & down with me that were doing it from Lewis Meadows, but boy was I happy to stop my return hike at the lake. The portion of the hike from lewis Meadows to camp 12.4 has a few spots where you can approach the river bank and watch the grey-blue water roaring and splashing its way downstream - definitely make sure to stop for views! 

The hike to Glacier Meadows has one of the absolutely most beautiful views looking down into the river valley but I have to be honest I did not like the rope ladder experience down the washout - I can’t believe people were doing it with packs on. It felt strong enough and not too bad once actually on the ladder, but the approach/dismount at the top is really loose and slippery and not much in the way of an actual ledge. 

The hike to the lateral moraine from Glacier Meadows felt like it was going pretty much straight up, mostly on talus and very exposed (wear sunscreen!). Where the trail becomes camouflaged into the rocks there are cairns here and there to help you keep track of it. Despite how you may be feeling as you reach the top, the view of the glacier wipes everything away. Words can’t really describe just how impressive and amazing it is.  

Overall the trail is in great condition and easy to follow. No snow anywhere on the trail, and all of the streams & creeks were dry or low enough to not get your feet wet. Wildlife - saw several deer and lots of cute tiny creatures like banana slugs, frogs, butterflies, etc. Very few bugs along the trail or at either of the campsites. Berries were pretty much all picked over except for a few at the start of the glacier trail. Most of the wildflowers were on the way to glacier meadows & blue glacier. Despite how popular the trail is, I had plenty of time alone once I got past Five Mile Island. 

Arrived around 9am on a Friday and there was no line to get in and plenty of parking. When I left on Sunday afternoon it was much busier but still no line and some available parking.

Three nights up to Lateral Moraine and its fabulous view down on Blue Glacier and up at the summit of Olympus.  Camped at Lewis Meadow, Martin Creek, then Olympus Guard Station. 

As advised we drove up Hoh Rd before 11:00 on a Monday, and still had 1.5 hour wait before getting in the gate!

Water: there's nothing (all streams are dry) for 4.5 miles from immediately before OGS until the high bridge.  The Hoh is full of glacier flour (sediments) that will quickly clog your filter, OK for cooking if boiled long enough to kill bacteria or you use iodine tablets.  Before OGS and after the bridge there are plenty of running streams.

We had the single permit for Martin, but 3 others squatted there as well - annoying and risking a fine if a Ranger had come by.  Elk Lake is just a couple hundred yards up the path and has unlimited permits, folks!

The ladder is in excellent condition although the lower part of the hand rope is failing, glad we had dropped off our packs before getting to it!  At the top of the ladder are fabulous views of White Glacier and the summit of Olympus which you won't see again until reaching the end of the moraine, so it's a fine end point unless you're going to enjoy the ladder and then push the additional 1.5 miles and 800' of climbing.

After the Ranger Station is where the trail gets steep and exposed, and requires following cairns up the talus to the jaw-dropping viewpoint that you reach suddenly.

The farther in you go, the less deadly the outhouses become.  Plan accordingly!

Did a 3 night backpacking trip Thurs to Sun. 

Night 1: Started at the trailhead around 11:30 and made it to Lewis Meadows campground around 17:00 with plenty of breaks. Weather was super humid and hot so make sure you stay hydrated. Plenty of water sources along the route. The horseflies and mosquitos were super annoying and bit every chance they got whenever we stopped to take a break. Lewis Meadows was a great campground; plenty of spaces spread out and right next to the river. 

Night 2: Hiked to Elk Lake from Lewis Meadows and it took about 3 hours total. This is when the elevation gain starts. The campsites here are a lot smaller and water access isn't that great either. After setting up camp around 11-11:30, headed up to Blue Glacier around noon with just daypacks. Plenty of water sources on the way up as well. You'll reach the ladder right before you get to the Glacier Meadows campsite. Going down isn't as scary as it looks, just take your time. I'm glad I didn't book Glacier Meadows for the campsite because I think I would've struggled going down with a heavy pack, but I saw several other people do it just fine. Once you go down the ladder, the elevation gain starts picking up, and it's just a constant uphill from there. I went up the mile route (the lateral) towards the left when you hit the fork at the end of the Glacier Meadows campsite. You won't even see the glacier until the very last second. My friend and I were the only ones up there for like 30 minutes just enjoying the view of the glacier. It was windy enough too so that bugs weren't biting, and the cool air felt great considering it was so hot. Made it back before 17:00 to Elk Lake.

Night 3: We took our time in the morning and made our way to Olympus Guard Station campsite. It was all downhill from here. This was my favorite campsite because we set up camp at the Gravel Bar and was super close to the river. Ended up going into the water to wash up and cool off (glacier water is freezing but worth it!). You can also see High Divide from here in the distance. 

Day 4: left camp around 7:30 and made it back in ~3 hours to the parking lot with only 1 break. Overall great trip!