I took our 10-year old counterclockwise, my wife took our 8-year old clockwise, and we met at the bridge. Nice, easy hike for everyone. Almost entirely in the shade.

It's been very dry recently, and several places where I've had to cross streams earlier in the year are bone-dry. The main river's flow is low enough that you can cross to the area directly under the suspension bridge. 

When you get back, the area just downstream of the concrete bridge is a great place to swim in the river. 

Staircase is looking great right now. The Cushman road is well maintained and once you enter the National Park everything is paved. There was plenty of parking on a Wednesday evening.

We had the trail all to ourselves and hiked counter clockwise. Beautiful, as usual, and there weren't any bugs either.

Had a large family camp out at Skokomish. Normally would try something a bit more strenuous but this trail ended up being absolutely perfect for a large group with ages ranging from 3-70 years old. Parked near the office and took the loop clockwise as counter clockwise has a steeper hill to climb and could potentially cause issues with older folks with knee issues. Trail was relatively quiet and the sound of the Skokomish flowing over the rocks just added to the great scenery. Bugs were present but very manageable. I don’t believe anyone in our group ever applied spray. If you’re limited on time or have mobility issues, this trail is excellent in my opinion. Happy Trails!

Nice easy loop. Just past the suspension bridge, you can make your way down to the river bank—not too steep. Very peaceful and well maintained. Good hike for kids.

We hiked the North Fork Skokomish up to the Flapjack Lakes junction. On our way back, we crossed the suspension bridge and returned along the Staircase Rapids loop, taking the short spur to Big Cedar. For this abbreviated route our stats were 7.5 miles and 790ft elevation gain.

The North Fork trail had a nice view of the river early on, then the river was largely in earshot but out of sight. We crossed a few small streams that were running cold, and it was a pleasure to dip our hats in and let the water drip down and cool us off. The trail was mostly shaded, but it was still pretty warm. We saw a lot of trillium along the trail, including some that looked more lavender colored, which I don't think I've seen before. We did not encounter snow up to the Flapjack junction, but if you're going deeper on the North Fork trail soon, a ranger told us the snow currently starts around 10 miles in.

The suspension bridge across the river is big and sturdy. The Staircase Rapids loop on that side (the part not shared with the North Fork trail) has nicer views of the river. The Big Cedar spur is worth it! It adds a few minutes each way to see a downed cedar 14 feet in diameter.

Most of the people we saw were on the Staircase Rapids loop - beyond that, the North Fork trail was pretty quiet. We arrived later in the day and there was no line at the entrance, but the parking lot was pretty full. The road along Lake Cushman is gravel but well-graded, and becomes paved again when you enter the park. Watch out for aggressive drivers along Lake Cushman and between there and Hoodsport.