Hike of the Week: Kloshe Nanitch
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| Kloshe Nanitch stands guard over the Sol Duc Valley |
Kloshe Nanitch
Stand watch over the Sol Duc Valley
by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin
June 22, 2007
Quick Facts
Location: North Olympic Peninsula-Sol Duc Valley
Land Agency: Olympic National Forest
Roundtrip: 6.4 miles
Elevation gain: 2,200 feet
Contact: Olympic National Forest, Pacific District North, Forks (360) 374-6522; www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic
Access: From Port Angeles, follow US 101 west for 37 miles to the Klohowya Campground. Proceed west another half mile turning right onto West Snider Road (just past Sol Duc River Bridge). In .4 mile come to the USFS Snider Work Center, continue straight on paved road another .6 mile to road end and trailhead.
The Kloshe Nanitch Lookout teeters on a 3,100-foot outcrop on Snider Ridge high above the glacially-carved Sol Duc Valley. A replica of the 1920s wooden cupola groundhouse that once graced this high ledge, this well-cared for structure is every bit as elegant as the original. Chinook Jargon for stand guard or stand watch, Kloshe Nanitch once served as a fire lookout in the early days of the Olympic National Forest. No longer used for spotting fires, the majestic lookout is now utilized by hikers and visitors gazing out at thousands of acres of pure rugged Olympic Peninsula beauty.
Begin your hike on an abandoned section of US 101. Walk the old highway, asphalt losing ground to moss and shrubbery, along the Sol Duc River. After five minutes, come to a sign indicating the start of true trail. Through second-growth fir carpeted with salal and pipsissewa, the trail steadily climbs Snider Ridge. Cross several streams rushing down steep ravines, although by late summer their flows will be a memory. In about 2.0 miles the grade eases, but not for long. The trail soon launches into a series of tight switchbacks approaching a small ledge. In 3.0 miles, after skirting beneath some cliffs, come to a junction. The trail right travels 3.0 miles along Snider Ridge connecting with the Mount Muller Loop Trail. Head left into a wildflower-studded meadow beneath the historic lookout. Make one last short and steep climb before arriving at the snow-white structure sitting on a ledge at the edge of the long ridge.
You may have company for the lookout can also be reached via a series of rough FS roads. More than likely though, you'll have Kloshe Nanitch and its adjacent picnic grounds all to yourself. Head over to the structure's wrap-around balcony and stand watch. Scan the Sol Duc Valley from beginning to end; from craggy Mount Appleton and the snow-patched High Divide all the way to the Pacific. A blanket of clouds on the western horizon marks the coastline. On clear days you can see James Island near La Push. That big snow and glacier covered mountain to the south is Olympus of course.
For information on lodging and other attractions near Kloshe Nanitch visit
Click here for link to Olympic Pennsula
