Spending some time in Union so wanted to get in a hike or two.  The forecast was 50% rain which we all know is just rain in the Olympics with maybe a 50% chance of a lesser amount.  Staircase seemed like the best place to be today to witness water flowing everywhere.  The forest road is in pretty bad shape about 75% of the way with 100’s of small diameter potholes but some are pretty deep.  You can manage to cruise around them at certain places since the road is super wide.  I had the road to myself today which made that easier to do in my Crosstrek.  Just take it slow for most of the way.  I parked at the Ranger’s Station and started the Staircase Rapid loop going clockwise.  It was raining from the start and the rapids were fierce on the swollen river.  There was some protection from the rain under the tree canopy which helped in addition to full rain gear and boots.  There was lots of water on the trail but passable.  I decided to continue a bit on the Four Stream trail which is narrow and quiet, then turned around and got back on the loop and over the suspension bridge.  When I got to the other side, I went left to hike a mile or so up the North Fork trail then turned around.  I admired the giant trees, boulders, ferns, rivers, streams, everything is supersized in the Park and the rains are just making it more lush.  Finished the loop and got back to the car without seeing any hikers or wildlife on the trail.  I was here 10 years ago in August.  The trails were not as wide and there were a lot of tourists out admiring much smaller rapids.  Nice to be back and so happy for the rain after a brutally dry summer.

I think I will hike Mount Rose next while out here….probably in the rain.

A friend and one of my employees went for a day 6.5 mile hike starting at the Staircase Rapids trailhead, we walked on the east side of the river to the suspension bridge, up the trail, then back across the bridge to the trailhead.  This means we didn't do the loop, but half the loop twice.

One weird thing happened on the way to the trailhead.  We saw a bison in the road near Quilcene.  That was a first for me.

We drove in along from 101 on Forest Service Road #24.  It was in great shape.  The final few miles to the ranger station, which is often in terrible condition, was also good.  Not great, but the best I've ever seen it on my 10 or so visits.

We hit the trail at 8:45 a.m.  There were still lots of spots in the parking lot.  The trail was in excellent condition.  Thank you to all the volunteers who work to make that happen.  I'm sure people are clearing this trail of fallen logs at least every month.

The hike was beautiful.  The leaves were just starting to turn.  The river was at the lowest I've ever seen it--which is probably normal for this time of year, and the several small streams along the trail which must be forded during the winter and spring were dry.  We had lunch at 3 mile log (about 3.3 miles from the trailhead) and turned around.  At lunch we were joined by battling chipmunks, very funny.  Oddly, we saw no other hikers on our outbound leg.  On the return leg we saw about 50 people.

We enjoyed all the sites along the trail:

• Ridicule Fence
• Toenail Rock
• Suspension Bridge
• Minor Impediment Rock
• 3-mile log

We hiked both the Staircase Rapids Loop and the Four River trail. The Staircase Rapids trail is in excellent shape, and was mostly dry, with one slightly muddy section. The water level for the North Fork Skokomish River is pretty low, and many of the smaller creek beds are completely dry.

The Four Stream trail, in contrast with Staircase Rapids, isn't well-maintained. It's overgrown in places, and there were a few downed logs across the trail, although all were passable. The trail is rougher here, with more rocks, roots, and bumpy terrain. We hiked about a mile past Staircase Rapids, to the confluence where Four Stream meets the North Fork Skokomish River. It's a pretty spot, but I think the best scenery is along the Staircase Rapids Loop. The Four River trail is a nice option if you want to lengthen your hike (and it certainly sees fewer hikers than the Staircase Rapids Loop), but if you only go as far as Staircase Rapids, you'll still see the highlights of this beautiful area.

Staircase Rapids is a popular trail, but it wasn't too crowded, especially considering we visited on a Sunday afternoon. That may have been due to the cloudy weather -- ideal hiking weather, if you ask me. This is a wonderful trail for families, especially if the weather is warm enough for playing in the river. Rocky riverside beaches are easy to access from the trail, and in many places the water is calm and quiet. The suspension bridge is also a high point. All in all, it's an ideal hike for anyone seeking an easy, short hike that showcases the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula's forest and rivers.

For a complete review with many more photos, please visit the website link below.

Arrived: 3pm, back to car in 1 hour doing a very casual 2.5-mile loop with photo stops.

This has been on my list to do for a long time, but for such a short hike that's so far from home, it never made it on the agenda. Not until a camping trip on the peninsula, that is! We did this counter-clockwise, based on another trip reporter's suggestion, which was great. (That means walking up the hill near the overflow parking and starting there, rather than by starting by walking over the wide bridge near the toilets.) The suspension bridge is about halfway either direction you choose, but this means you'll stay nearer the Skokomish on the way back to the car, which is nice.

The water was quite low in the river so the rapids were fairly chill. Lots of gorgeous Old Man's Beard lichen on everything, too. A good hike for families!

On the drive back home, we took a very brief detour to drive across Lake Cushman, because how often do you get to drive on a one-lane road across a body of water?

Toilets: 2 at the main parking lot (no H2O, but you can filter water from the river, naturally)

we got here at 9 am on Sunday and barely got a parking spot but we didn't see a ton of people on the trail either so I'm not sure where everyone was. the whole drive from Kitsap, it was overcast and gloomy looking but as soon as we got to the trailhead it was blue skies and sunshine.

the trail is in excellent condition and is very easy to navigate with tons of little offshoots to get closer to the river. it's been a while since I've been here but I think they have routed the trail away from the river at a couple of points when it used to follow it more closely but I'm sure they have a good reason.

when we were leaving around 11:30, the parking lot was overflowing and people were parked all along the edges of the lot and street. definitely get here early, even on a gloomy day.