Hike of the Week: Elkhorn Station

A hike to Elkhorn will leave you with "deer" memories

Elkhorn Ranger Station

A "deer" spot deep within the Elwha Valley


by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin

May 6, 2005


Quick Facts
Location: Olympic National Park, Elwha River Valley
Land Agency: National Park Service
Roundtrip: 22.8 miles
Cumulative Elevation gain: 800 feet
Access: From Port Angeles, head 8.5 miles west on US 101. Just before the highway crosses the Elwha River, turn left (south) onto the Elwha River Road. Continue on this road for 4.0 miles to the Elwha Ranger Station. Bear left onto the Whiskey Bend Road and proceed for 4.25 miles to the Whiskey Bend Trailhead.
Notes: Dogs are prohibited. Day use Fee required (National Park, Golden Eagle, Golden Age passes accepted). Wilderness Camping permits required for overnight stays. For more info visit, http://www.nps.gov/olym/wic/permits.htm
Green Trails Maps: Mount Olympus, WA – No.134, Mt Angeles, WA – No. 135

The Elwha River begins on the high and rugged southern slopes of Mount Barnes, deep within the Olympic Mountains. From this remote point of origin, practically at the exact center of the national park, the Elwha flows northward for 45 miles, draining over 300 square miles of the surrounding wilderness. The 4th longest river on the Peninsula, the Elwha is rich in wildlife and history; and surrounded by lush old-growth forest. A hike along this mighty waterway is a trip into the very heart of the Olympic Peninsula.
If you’re itching for an early season backpacking trip into the Olympic interior, the first 11.4 miles of the Elwha River Trail to the Elkhorn backcountry ranger station and campground should satisfy your restlessness. Following the same route of the famed 1889-90 Press Expedition Party, this well-maintained trail will deliver you with ease to the same points that the Press Group struggled to get to.
Bypassing the Elwha’s Grand Canyon, the trail traverses slopes high above. You’ll pass Michaels’ Cabin, the remnants of a 1906 homestead. Between Antelope Creek and Idaho Creek, a handful of old trees still bear the original ax blazes from the Press Expedition.
Through second-growth forests teeming with an understory of salal, the trail tops out at 2,000 feet before dropping 700 feet back to the river. Now through thick old-growth forest occasionally punctuated by grassy openings, enjoy a nearly level hike along the mighty river for 2.5 miles to Elkhorn.
The meadows of Elkhorn located on a picturesque bend in the river makes for a most inviting spot to set-up camp. From here, soak your feet in the chilly waters, cast a fly, or sit and observe the dippers and harlequin ducks that feed along the river. Chances are good too, that you may observe elk here along the Elwha’s sparkling waters. But if one of the Olympic Peninsula’s famed Roosevelt elk fails to make an appearance, rest assured that a black-tailed deer is always nearby.
If the trip to Elkhorn satisfies your backpacking urges-return later in the season to continue along the Elwha Trail all the way to the Low Divide.