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Enchanted Valley Route

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 4.9 (27)
  1. Areas
  2. WA
  3. …Olympic Peninsula
  4. Olympic National Park
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“The scenic end point is enchanted indeed. ”

Steve Jackson
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Map Key

35.2

Miles

56.7

KM

Out and Back

2,870' 875 m

High

627' 191 m

Low

4,414' 1,346 m

Up

4,414' 1,345 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

33%

Max Grade (18°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife

Overview

This long trail along the Quinault River winds its way through forests and rewards you at the end with the Enchanted Valley. With its sheer cliffs and many waterfalls, it will be easy to see where the moniker "Enchanted Valley" came from.

Need to Know

There are plenty of bears here so proper food storage is a must. Check in with the Quinault ranger station. This route spans a few USGS quads so look for a few alternatives that eliminate the multiple maps.

Description

The East Fork Quinault River Trail ascends the Quinault River drainage through some very big trees in this old forest. On the way back we bumped into a forester who showed us a place off trail where we could see old growth trees of three different species, so take the extra time to witness some of these ancient giants.

You can break this route up by camping along the way halfway up. While camping along the trail will give you a much more in depth experience, the trail is easily conquered in a single day.

Once you make your way up to the Enchanted Valley, you see why it has earned the name. There are sheer cliffs across the Quinault, with hundreds of waterfalls streaming down it early in the season. You can spend a couple days in the valley exploring, and each day will be well worth your while.

Flora & Fauna

There are many bears in the area. We saw two in the valley walking across a snowpack on the opposite side of the river. There are also lots of elk that are usually present in the area.

Contacts

Local Club: Washington Trails Association (WTA)

Apr 22, 2024: Pacific Rim Institute

Apr 21, 2024: olt-workshops

Apr 18, 2024: New trail opens in Sammamish, connecting local parks system

Land Manager: National Park Service - Olympic National Park

Shared By:

Steve Jackson
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.9 from 27 votes

#5

in Olympic National Park

#326

Overall
  4.9 from 27 votes
5 Star
85%
4 Star
15%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#5

in Olympic National Park

#26

in Washington

#326

Overall
38 Views Last Month
23,562 Since Dec 17, 2015
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
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Photos

Walking into Enchanted Valley with the Chalet in view.
Jun 27, 2018 near Brinnon, WA
Enchanted Valley with low-lying clouds
Dec 13, 2018 near Brinnon, WA
Narrow bridge just before entering the Enchanted Valley.
Jan 23, 2016 near Seabeck, WA
Waterfalls everywhere!
Dec 17, 2015 near Seabeck, WA
View towards the Olympics.
Dec 17, 2015 near Seabeck, WA
Enchanted Valley waterfalls.
Dec 17, 2015 near Seabeck, WA

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Weather

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Check-Ins

Sep 11, 2023
Erin McPherson
Aug 12, 2023
Tom Herr
Long and enjoyable hike following the Quinault River to it's headwaters. Camped 1 night on the way and 2 in the valley. Great side hikes there! 35.2mi
Aug 15, 2022
Madeline White
Jul 23, 2021
Ashleigh Shunk
Camped at ONeill Creek, Enchanted Valley, Shaun went onto Anderson Glacier, camped about .5 miles past ONeill on the way out
May 28, 2021
Adamson Bryant
with Mom & Dad, spent night of 5/27 in Enchanted Valley 30mi
Oct 2, 2020
Mo Brown
Sep 22, 2020
Holly Smith
Aug 13, 2020
Bill Holland-Smith
Unseasonably hot, many watering holes were either dried up or just a trickle but even that couldn't detract from the beauty of the area. 35.2mi

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Stewarded by Washington Trails Association (WTA)
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