Arrived at the trailhead shortly before 7am - parked in the large parking lot which was about a quarter full at this time of day, the smaller parking lot near the trailhead was about half-full when I arrived. 

Started out with a couple miles doing and out-and back along the Shady Lane Trail towards the Copper Creek Trailhead which had one small area of erosion, a downed tree to manage and some overgrown spots - but entirely deserted at this time of morning.

Followed with a clockwise loop of Staircase Rapids. Trail is wide and well-maintained, a few short areas of slight elevation gain, but mostly flat and easy with some beautiful views of the river and rapids, and the suspension bridge is a great spot for taking in the scenery. Only saw 4 other people on my trek this morning. Lovely!

The Olympic Peninsula appeared to be the only place in WA where haze and smoke weren't forecasted for the next three days, so I hit a hike that's been sitting on my wish list forever. The road is in excellent condition. The drive is beautiful. I've seen Lake Cushman from viewpoints, but I've never driven next to it. Once through the gates, I parked in the first big lot on the right and took the counter clockwise trailhead. There are quick moments of elevation, but nothing that lasts for a long stretch. The variation in terrain and forest views make for a fun trek. The first half of the hike at this time of year was sans much water, but then you hit the suspension bridge. That is neato and it is also the start of consistent water views for the rest of the hike. The signage is clear, just don't miss the signs. I completed the loop and turned around to experience Staircase going clockwise. I couldn't wait to walk along the running water again, but the 2nd half of the hike was a little anti-climatic. I suggest hitting this hike counterclockwise so you finish with the water and bridge. 

I haven't been to the Staircase area since March 2020 and a major problem with going here for years was the terrible road conditions. A couple miles out closer to Lake Cushman, there was a gravel/dirt road that was just loaded every few feet with potholes. This made me hate coming here because all my cars sit pretty low. Well, I'm happy to report that essentially all the potholes have been filled. This stretch of road is still gravel and bumpy in parts but I don't see any cars having problems making it to the trailhead. 

On this trip, I stayed in the area for two days. I camped at the Staircase Campground the first day (Wednesday) then hiked Staircase Rapids the second (Thursday). Both days were extremely busy. By the time I got to the campsite at around 3pm, almost all sites were taken. All the regular parking spots were taken. On Thursday when I set out to hike at around 11am, both parking lots were filled again. By the time I was done hiking, there were cars out to the road. I would definitely advise going early to find parking. 

The trail was in good shape with nothing unexpected. The only thing I would note is the bugs. I got bit a few times but the main annoyance was the hornets/wasps. There seemed to be a group of them following us for a good portion of the hike or they were in multiple locations. Definitely bring bug spray. 

Went out for a 4 day/3 night backpack with a friend for about 33 miles.

We entered on the Duckabush side, camped at 10 mile, Upper Duckabush, through first divide, then Camp Pleasant and out at Staircase.

Great trails for both river basins.  I will say the only sneaky hard park is little and big hump in the first section.  Doable but harder than it looks.  Camping by both rivers are just fantastic. Camp Pleasant can get pretty busy on weekend days.

Check out our meal plan in the video!  www.montyboca.com/recipes

If you decide to do this hike go early! We arrived around 9:30 and the parking lot was already full. We decided to do the trail counter clockwise to miss the crowd that was already there. The trail was beautiful and clean. We had kids 7 and under and did it with little to no complaints. Perfect hike for beginners or kids that are young and not used to hiking.