HORESEFLIES ARE INSANE ON THIS TRAIL! 

(Please note: We started at the Little Quilcene trailhead. As I understand it, the Upper Trailhead does have a privy and perhaps larger lot)

Unpaved road to the trailhead for about 9 miles, which went somewhat slowly because you had to watch for potholes. Arrived at 8:20a on Thursday to a few cars at the lot. Returned around noon to a mostly full lot, which could accomodate maybe 10 cars, and a few more along the road if necessary. No bathroom/privy at the trailhead. 

First mile was the hardest, due to the incline, but not really bad at all. After that, the trail was well-maintained and enjoyable, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ALL THE HORSEFLIES BUZZING US THE WHOLE WAY. There were multiple times where I became a trail runner, thinking that I could outrun these demonic beasts, but they were persistent nearly the whole hike. In the future, I'll avoid this trail during the summer when they're probably most active. Otherwise, it was one of the most beautiful and magical places in the PNW. 

Gorgeous trail in excellent condition. Amazing views in all directions. Unfortunately so many bugs today. Can’t believe recent trip reports that said no bugs. This was right up near the “wish we hadn’t come” level. Horseflies mostly, black flies and a few mosquitoes.

SO MANY HORSEFLIES!!!!! Beautiful trail, we have been here multiple times throughout the seasons, just never summer. we wore bug spray yet they were all over us indeed. the hike is lovely and the trail is clean and maintained, but Be Prepared to swing at some feisty insects.🦟

I had a nice morning on Mt. Townsend. Despite the parking area being pretty full of cars at 7:15 a.m., my timing worked out such that I had the summit to myself for the 30 minutes I chose to stay up there.

There was a steady stream of hikers coming up as I was leaving, but the trail never felt too crowded.

The trail is in perfect condition. The road to get there is pretty good, too. The only potholes worthy of note are just before the upper trailhead parking, maybe 0.25 - 0.1 mile before that. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing.

Hats off to the dude who summited twice in the time it took me to go up and back!

The flowers are very good with a great variety! We saw 111 speciesofplantsinbloom, thanksPaul for the list! We really enjoyed the flowers we've only seen on the peninsula: Olympic bellflower (photo 1), mountain death camus (photo 2), nodding onion (photo 3), woolly vetch (photo 4), elegant sandwort, and more. The prairie smoke on the top is thick and beautiful (see slideshow). The trail is in great shape, the views are spectacular.

PLANTS IN FLOWER (111 species)

white (41)

common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

vanilla-leaf (Achlys triphylla)

pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

sharp-tooth angelica (Angelica arguta)

woolly pussytoes (Antennaria lanata)

raceme pussytoes (Antennaria racemosa)

mountain / glaucus death-camas (Anticlea elegans)

goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus)

chickweed, species uncertain (Cerastium sp.)

alpine sandwort (Cherleria obtusiloba)

little prince’s-pine (Chimaphila menziesii)

Siberian spring-beauty (Claytonia sibirica)

queen’s cup (Clintonia uniflora)

dwarf dogwood / bunchberry (Cornus unalaschkensis)

talus willowherb (Epilobium clavatum)

thread-leaf / mountain sandwort (Eremogone capillaris)

Flett’s / Olympic Mountain daisy / fleabane (Erigeron flettii)

mountain strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

common bedstraw (Galium aparine)

cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum)

alpine alumroot (Heuchera glabra)

small-flowered alumroot (Heuchera micrantha)

white-flowered hawkweed (Hieracium albiflorum)

western starflower (Lysimachia latifolia)

starry false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum)

rusty saxifrage (Micranthes ferruginea)

little-leaf montia (Montia parvifolia)

one-sided wintergreen (Orthilia secunda)

locoweed (Oxytropis campestris)

three-toothed mitrewort (Ozomelis trifida)

silver-leaf phacelia (Phacelia hastata)

white rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum)

dwarf bramble / creeping raspberry (Rubus lasiococcus)

thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)

trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus)

boreal stichwort / arctic sandwort (Sabulina rubella)

spotted / matted saxifrage (Saxifraga bronchialis / austromontana)

campion / catchfly, maybe Parry’s (Silene, maybe parryi)

fringecups (Tellima grandiflora)

foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata)

Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis)

yellow (19)

trail plant / pathfinder (Adenocaulon bicolor) — some yellow, others white

pale agoseris (Agoseris glauca)

mountain arnica (Arnica latifolia)

Parry’s arnica (Arnica parryi)

shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa)

cushion buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium)

Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum)

western / sand dune wallflower (Erysimum capitatum)

large-leaf avens (Geum macrophyllum)

Martindale’s desert-parsley / biscuit-root (Lomatium martindalei)

Flett’s groundsel (Packera flettii)

fan-leaf cinquefoil (Potentilla flabellifolia)

slender cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis)

tall / meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris)

lawn buttercup (Ranunculus repens)

spreading stonecrop (Sedum divergens) 

spearleaf stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum)

Rocky Mountain goldenrod (Solidago multiradiata)

streamside / pioneer violet (Viola glabella)

reddish: pink to red to red-purple (28)

nodding onion (Allium cernuum)

Olympic / scalloped onion (Allium crenulatum)

candystick (Allotropa virgata)

rosy pussytoes (Antennaria microphylla)

red columbine (Aquilegia formosa)

harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida)

scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)

small-flowered paintbrush (Castilleja parviflora)

fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)

pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata)

spotted coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata)

western coralroot (Corallorhiza mertensiana)

foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

smooth willowherb (Epilobium glaberrimum)

old man’s whiskers (Geum triflorum)

Columbia lewisia (Lewisia columbiana)

twinflower (Linnaea borealis)

pinesap / Indian pipe (Monotropa hypopitys)

sickletop lousewort (Pedicularis racemosa)

spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa)

woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea)

liver-leaf wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia)

Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)

maple-leaf currant (Ribes acerifolium)

swamp gooseberry (Ribes lacustre)

rose, baldhip or peahip (Rosa gymnocarpa or pisocarpa)

sheep sorrel / common sorrel / sour dock (Rumex acetosella)

creeping snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis)

bluish: violet to blue to blue-purple (15)

Olympic harebell / bellflower (Campanula piperi)

common harebell / bluebell bellflower (Campanula rotundifolia)

edible thistle (Cirsium edule)

subalpine daisy / fleabane (Erigeron glacialis)

northern gentian (Gentiana amarella)

pea, species uncertain (Lathyrus sp.)

broadleaf lupine (Lupinus latifolia)

woodland penstemon (Nothochelone nemerosa)

small-flowered penstemon (Penstemon procerus)

coast penstemon (Penstemon serrulatus)

Jacob’s-ladder, showy or low (Polemonium pulcherrimum or californicum)

Cusick’s speedwell (Veronica cusickii)

American vetch (Vicia americana)

woolly/hairy vetch (Vicia villosa)

early blue violet (Viola adunca)

green (5)

heart-leaf twayblade (Neottia cordata)

slender bog orchid (Platanthera stricta)

white-veined wintergreen (Pyrola picta)

western meadowrue (Thalictrum occidentale)

green false hellebore (Veratrum viride)

orange (2)

orange agoseris (Agoseris aurantiaca)

Columbia / tiger lily (Lilium columbianum)

brown (1)

Oregon boxwood (Paxistima myrsinites)

BIRDS

Varied Thrush

Hermit Thrush

Band-tailed Pigeon

Brown Creeper

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Horned Lark

Anna’s Hummingbird

BUTTERFLIES

Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)

Parnassian, species uncertain (Parnassius sp.)

Snowberry Checkerspot (Euphydryas colon)

Edith’s Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)

greater fritillary, species uncertain (Speyeria sp.)

lesser fritillary, species uncertain (Boloria sp.)

Crescent, Mylitta or Field (Phyciodes mylitta or pulchella)

Boisduval’s Blue (Icaricia icarioides)