The first time we attempted this hike was Nov. of 2020 - it was downpouring so hard all day the first day, plus a late start at the trailhead, so we only made it to Lewis Meadows and turned back a day early before heading to the glacier with soaked gear and low spirits. This trip was our redemption trip and we lucked out with the clearest days ever and a successful glacier viewing! We did it as a two-night, using Elk Lake as basecamp. 

Got to the parking lot at around 7am on a Saturday - did not encounter any of the traffic at this hour and there was plenty of parking (side note, on the way out on a Monday at 1pm, there was a HUGE line to get in). We camped at Elk Lake on Saturday and Sunday, using the day on Sunday to go to Blue Glacier.

As detailed in many trip reports, the first part of the trail is flat and easygoing minus one big log to climb, which is very doable. We did not have to get wet at any crossings and found easy rocks and/or logs to cross. The elevation really starts at 12.4 mile camp, and there are some reprieves along the way. There are also a good number of water refills until Elk Lake at 15.1 miles. 

At Elk Lake, the camp was totally full - in fact, it was hard to even find another spot for a tent! Like others have said, it is a close little campsite, but we liked the atmosphere with other campers and ended up finding a spot isolated from the rest. Bear wire is in good condition. The privy is definitely pretty intense-smelling, even for a privy, from many spots around camp, but we didn't find it bothersome at night. We filtered water from the lake but were spoiled by the cold creek water from the rest of the trail and found it warm - but it's totally fine. The bugs were pretty annoying...not the worst in the world, but bug spray was good to have and some other folks had bug nets.

On Sunday, we left at around 9am to go to Blue Glacier. Several water refill opportunities before the camp. The climb to Glacier Meadows is not too bad, but we are glad we were among the earlier folks to the ladder/washout since we heard there was a long line after us. While the ladder is super solid, the accompanying rope is core shot (it has been tied off and added to but still not ideal) at certain places which made us feel safer mainly using it as a ladder on the way down. After Glacier Meadows, we opted for the Lateral Moraine - this ascent includes a long rock field that is pretty strenuous (but so worth it!). We had the whole Lateral Moraine to ourselves for the better part of an hour around 11am-12pm! On the way down, we soaked our feet in a frigid little pool on the trail - heavenly.

Back to camp, we swam in Elk Lake for a refresher and went across to the big rock across from the lake access point with logs. Lots of lily pads and dragonflies and a great time. Retired early for a 5am wakeup call on Monday to get on the trail at 6am. The descent is not too bad, and we made it back to the parking lot around 1pm. What a wonderful place and so many great camping options! Though more crowded than other Olympic NP trails in my experience, there is so much to enjoy along the Hoh whether going to the glacier, summiting Olympus or just chilling by the river. Will be back!

The trail was is great shape overall. We did this as a 4 day 3 night trip. We got to the parking lot at 7am on Friday due to reports of terrible traffic. Stayed at Lewis meadows the first night and got to the campground around 2:30pm. There were plenty of spots, though the area filled up rapidly throughout the day. Second night was at glacier meadows. We did the ladder with full packs down and up. The worst part was scaling the ravine after the ladder. As a side note: please wait for others to descend the ladder before you climb up especially if they have full packs. There were two very rude hikers who did not ask if they could climb up while a member of our party was going down and it could have caused an injury. The ladder is much taller than it appears in pictures so be aware if heights are not your thing.

Bugs were the worst at glacier meadows but fine. We hiked both moraines and they were spectacular! We could not have asked for better weather. The meadow and flowers at the top were also beautiful. The last day we camped at happy four which was lovely along the river. We got out around 10:30am the last day (a Monday) and the visitor center and parking lot were very busy. So so many people. The line to get into the park when we drove out was long. We did not have to wait more than 5 minutes for road construction.

This is a report of a 60-mile through hike from Hoh River visitor center to the Madison Falls parking lot, via Hoh Lake, Appleton Pass, and Boulder Creek campgrounds.  We also did the hike to and from Glacier Meadows on one day.

Overall, the park is stunning. Lush foliage, wildflowers, and spectacular views, including clear night skies. We were fortunate to get very clear, rain-free weather on every one of our days.

Here is a quick synopsis of the trail conditions:

HOH VC to Olympus Guard Station --  no staff at the guard station. Toilet is in good shape, and bear wires are present and operable.  Sites are clean, and a bit buggy, but bugs die down after a little while.  Trial is easy to follow, not overgrown, and well traveled. We saw a fair amt of traffic, but not such that it impeded our progress.  At least two creeks required us to take off hiking shoes to ford the creek. Suggest bringing creek shoes (see later hikes below).

OGS to Glacier Meadows -- most of the trail is in ok shape.  Vegetation is heavy in parts, but the trial is easily passable to Elk Lake.  After Elk Lake, the trail climbs and there are long drops on the right side (when climbing up). The trail also gets very narrow in parts, and planting trekking poles be comes difficult.  We day-hiked this, and hikers with packs should be careful in these parts.  Our troop of boy scouts managed this fine, but with a full pack that is improperly packed or has swing weight, this may prove more difficult.  Water is relatively easy to come by and there are opportunities to filter as you go, though it gets less so as you climb.  At the top, near GM, there is an avalanche gulch that NPS apparently can't maintain the trail, so they put up a "ladder" with steel cables, railroad ties, and a rope. The idea is to face the slope, and climb down while using the rope to help.  I don't trust any rope I didn't rig, so we didn't do this and turned back.  The slope is pretty steep, and a few groups went down while we were there (you have to do this again on the way back).  It **IS** dangerous, but passable.  Suggest you carry helmets and travel light if you are hell bent on doing this.  We saw at least one injury on this trail, but we are not sure if this is where the injury happened.  This is not an easy trail; please plan accordingly.

OGS to CB Flats group site -- very overgrown trail. It is passable, but planting trekking poles is difficult and the low bushes hold your poles back.  There is relatively little water on this trail, so carry what you need until you get up to the high parts. It's also relatively steeper, with stretches in the 20% grade or more. There are also many large trees that have fallen at odd angles, and if you are short like me, you have to find a way to get over them.  The trail is challenging but passable.  CB flats is a lovely group site, with a toilet with a nice view and bear wires.  A creek runs nearby and has good water.  It's a short uphill hike to Hoh Lake from CB Flats, but Hoh Lake wasn't as pretty IMHO.  The bugs here are bothersome. The flies seem to like the salt from our sweat, and were very persistent. 

CB flats, Hoh Lake, Bogachiel Peak, High divide to Sol Duc Park to Appleton Pass --  Trail to Hoh, Bogachiel Peak, and High Divide is passable and stunning.  Be ready to climb.  It also traces the ridge and there are sections that are on the knife edge of the ridge:  don't walk and look. Stop first, look, then move. It's easy to misplace a step and drop on one side or another.  We saw 4 bears on this section, off in the distance, doing bear things. Compact binoculars came in handy here and on Bogachiel Peak.

There are a few places with snow, and a few snow bridges. However, these snow fields were melting rapidly, and mostly NOT in our trail.  The few that were could be passed in the daytime. If you are hiking in the evening or cooler parts of the day, it could get icy. I found my trekking poles to be very helpful here, and my hiking shoes didn't grip the slushy snow well.  I also used it to probe for bridges and avoid postholing on a snow bridge or two.  Be sure to watch for the telltale melting that signal a possible snow bridge. High Divide has no accessible water. Vegetation is also delicate, so I'd suggest NOT pooping in the outdoors unless you can't  avoid it. Wait for Heart Lake.  Wildflowers are abundant-- yellow, purple, white, etc.  It was a joy to hike this section, and the views of Mt Olympus were incredible.  The trail is also exposed to the sun, so you'll need your hat and sunscreen.

We filled up water at Sol Duc Park, and climbed to Appleton Pass. Be sure to use the human trail rather than the stock crossing of the Sol Duc river.  It's a beast of a trail, very steep in parts, and lacks water. It's also psychologically difficult due to the altitude gain, steepness, and lack of water. There are a few brackish ponds at the top, but most of it is water-free as I recall.  I'd suggest stopping in the basin somewhere and attempting this in two phases instead of all at once like we did.  There is snow at the top in Appleton Pass.  Water is hard to find, and a walk to Oyster Lake is necessary. There is supposed to be a spring or seep there, but we couldn't find it. We melted packed snow, boiled and filtered it to be safe, and also used water from the lake.  Mt. Appleton has frequent rock slides and we saw one in the AM. It was a bit unnerving to hear it and see it.  New moon mad the stars pop out, and the snow was lit by starlight. Be sure to catch the morning sunrise. It's glorious.  (*also, if you wash your clothes somewhere and need to dry it, this is the place. It's high enough up that it's pretty arid.)  We had the whole place to ourselves (probably because it was a weekday).

Appleton to Boulder Creek -- The trail had a steep downhill, had two creek fords, and was very rocky and slippery in parts. Vegetation was overgrown in parts where even those without poles were having trouble placing their feet properly. We had one injury here in our party due to trail conditions. Pass this slowly, especially if you are going downhill.  Some of the creeks run on the trail, so you are walking on a wet creek bed for a bit.  This trail gets hot, and the cool creek crossings are welcome breaks IMHO.  Tip: Resting near a creek is also 10 degrees cooler.

Boulder Creek campground -- beautiful, tall trees, shade, water nearby , bear wires operational, and, again, we were the only ones there.  We didn't have time for the hot springs -- look for the smaller ones, they are less hot and  you can soak longer.  Toilet here is in good shape, but door doesn't latch.  

Boulder Creek to Madison Falls -- trail (which is an old road) is easy. Nature is taking it over, and it's easy to navigate despite the many fallen trees, creeks, etc.  Trailhead has toilets but they are locked and unusable.  Water is relatively available most of the way. Latter half, where the road is paved is drier so be sure to have water with you on that part.  The road is totally washed out at the end, and you have to take a bypass trail that climbs the ridge a bit and then comes down. We met some students that were doing field work in the area, and they said that there is a trail that follows the Elwha River, but we followed the signs and played it safe.  Potable water and toilets are available at the Madison Falls parking lot.

Hope this helps. Upshot: if you plan undertake a through-hike, take poles, carry sufficient water, stay light, plan to go slow, and keep your distances to a manageable length. The trails have grade, distance, overgrowth/narrowness, water challenges (or lack there of), altitude, and other challenges.  To these, you can add your own fitness, pack weight, temperament, etc.  Plan accordingly, and hike with a spot device (realize that getting to you will not be easy nor quick).  The views and sights are truly beautiful. Also suggest getting permits during a New Moon, when the stars are most visible.

Happy Trails!

We hiked the Hoh river trail to the Blue Glacier overlook as an overnight trip. 

Firstly, be aware that there is construction on the road (delays) plus the trailhead parking area has closed areas so parking is very limited. We were delayed 2.5 hours, which was not great with a 15 mile hike ahead of us. We weren't able to start hiking until almost 1pm. 

Around MP 7 there are two stream crossings. I've done this hike before and think they didn't have water previously, but right now they do. The first one has a couple of not-great log crossing options, but I chose a knee deep and simple ford. Another 1/4ish mile past there is another crossing, which I didn't see a log option for, another knee deep ford. On the return hike I opted to wear my trail runners through both (insoles and socks in my pack) so I'd only have to dry my feet off once. 

We camped at Elk Lake, the campsites are disappointingly close together so not much privacy. Hiked up to the Blue Glacier moraine the next morning, a few patches of snow so poles were nice to have. Beautiful views of Olympus and the Blue Glacier. 

3 night backpack; Lewis Meadow to Elk lake, up to the lateral moraine from Elk Lake with day pack, last night at 5 mile camp.  4 river crossings between 5 mile and Lewis Meadow. All have logs that can be used (though a couple have a slightly challenging entry on to or off the log).  Fording is manageable but your boots will be wet if using your hiking boots for the crossing.

Mud was much improved from what was described in prior reports and able to skirt it along the trail edge when present. Also new privy at Elk Lake (thank you Rangers!). Bear wires are intact at Lewis Meadows and Elk Lake.  5 mile requires bear canisters.

Snow was patchy starting at Glacier Meadows camp.  We had micro spikes and used these on a few snow fields just prior to the lateral moraine glacier overlook, but the route could be done without these.

Elk seen and bears reported down near the start of the trail. Cougar siting on Wed resulted in slight hike start delay for the wildlife ranger to investigate.  Cougar prints were fresh in the mud in the trail about a mile up from the visitor center.

Overall outstanding trail! Thanks to all the Olympic Rangers and crew who are keeping this trail in great condition.