What: A strenuous climb to a great view of Puget Sound, Hood Canal and the eastern front of the Olympic Mountains.
Where: Take the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston, Highway 104 west to U.S. 101, and turn south to Quilcene. From Whidbey, take the Keystone ferry to Port Townsend, Highway 20 south to U.S. 101, and go south to Quilcene. From Quilcene, drive five miles south on U.S. 101 to the Mount Walker Road (Forest Service Road 2730). The trailhead is 0.25 miles up the road, and you’ll have to walk that, since the road is closed at the highway now. There is room to pull off and park near the gate.
Distance: Four to six miles round trip
Level: Difficult
Starting elevation: 800 feet
High point: 2,800 feet
Map: USGS Mount Walker
Notes: Many day-hikers save this trail for winter because the road to the top of the mountain is usually closed, leaving the option of hiking up the steep trail and down the longer road, or vice-versa, for a loop hike of six miles. Up and down the trail is about four miles, a 1,000-foot elevation gain per mile. The road walk adds a range of views as it circles the summit on the way up or down, but if you wait until spring to go, you’ll be sharing the road with cars and bicycles. The trail climbs through a rich forest of fir, salal, huckleberry and rhododendron to increasingly wider views of the Olympics. It opens up just below the northern viewpoint of the mountain. Here you’ll find a picnic table with views of the Olympics. You can pick up the road here and hike another half-mile to the southern viewpoint, which looks over Hood Canal toward Seattle and north to Mount Baker and the North Cascades. The Quilcene Ranger Station reported Wednesday that there is some snow from about the 1,800-foot level to the summit, though not heavy. Be aware of any storms that might be on the way.
Permits: Forest Service pass, when the parking area is open. None if you have to park at the highway.
Contact: Quilcene Ranger Station, 360-765-2200
Seabury Blair Jr. from “Day Hike! Olympic Peninsula” (Sasquatch Books)
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