Just some trail info. You can’t get to the trailhead via the directions here from WTA/Google, since the South Shore Road has a washout (see pic). You have to take the North Shore Road about 9.7 miles past Lake Quinault to the bridge that crosses over to the South Shore Road. Then follow that to the end. But a part of a temporary bridge to get you between the two roads will be removed 10/16/25 (tentatively) for the winter. To be reinstalled in early April, according to a ranger we spoke to. So access to Graves Creek Camp/Trailhead will not be available by car until then. So call and talk to a ranger if needed. Road was a little rough but we made it fine in a camper van going slow.

My party of two just completed a 5 day, 4 night trip to the Enchanted Valley via the Dosewallips, West Fork of the Dosewallips, and Anderson Pass. With two side trips, it totaled about 47 miles.

Because the road to Graves Creek Trailhead is closed, we decided to take the long way to the Enchanted Valley. Our first night was at Dose Forks (privy, no bear wire, very few bugs). This is an easy 7 or 8 mile hike in.

Our second and third nights were at the Enchanted Valley (privy, no bear wire, a few mosquitos at sunrise and sunset). This was about 14 mile hike up and over Anderson Pass. The creeks and river crossing are all easy going. We had to take our shoes off just one time at the Honeymoon Meadows ford. Our rest day in the Valley was magical, but we did not see any bears or elk.

Our fourth night was at Big Timber (privy, bear wire, and a few mosquitos at sunset). On this day we took a detour to look for the champion Western Hemlock, but did not believe we saw it. We also took the side trail from Anderson Pass to the Anderson Moraine. This is well worth a detour, despite being very steep, and offers stunning views. The mosquitos in the pass and at the moraine were terrible, so be prepared.

Our final day was the hike out, roughly 9 or 10 miles.

Lastly, a huge thank you to the trail crew working on the West Fork and restoring the Camp Siberia shelter. Thank you all!

The road back (North Shore all the way from 101) is passable, but really not suitable for low slung passenger vehicles. You can make it (we saw a Prius at the trailhead) but you should be prepared for it to take you about an hour from 101 back to Graves Creek.  

The trail itself is overall in good condition.  We hiked from the Trailhead to Fire Creek (about 4 miles, 8 mi RT).  The first 2.5 miles to pony bridge has more climbing than expected and ranges from flat and wide (we said "we can bring our parents--in their 70s--here!" to rocky and difficult ("no way they could make it).  It isn't terribly difficult, but also isn't a casual hike.  There are parts of this first segment that are very beautiful, and others that are less so.   The real action begins once you reach the Quinault and the trail parallels the river.  As a day hike, this section made it all worthwile, really beautiful rain forest and the sounds of the river next to you.  We saw several large groups (5-8 people), mostly on multi-day overnight hikes, and also saw three rangers out there.    Overall I wish we had had more time to go further up the river valley, the brief sampling we got made me wonder how it could get better!

There were bugs but they were not very annoying, and I didn't get any bites.  You are mostly shaded, though a few spots along the river got sun when it was out.  Plenty of spots to stop and have a snack or a look at the beauty.

Everyone was talking about how even north shore road will be closed by Jefferson County starting July 7, which will make access to this trail head far more difficult (no one we talked to knew what the plan was going to be). 

I hiked this with trail with my almost 3 year old daughter and my mom & it was a very special trip! Hard, enchanting, long, beautiful, a little brutal, & fun.

We broke our trip up into 4 days, 3 nights:

Day 1: We arrived at the trailhead at 10:30 a.m. which was full but still had a few open spots. The bathroom at the TH was fully stocked and clean. Hit the trail at 11:00 a.m. and were stopped just a few minutes in by a group of rangers. They checked our permits and made sure we had a bear vault for staying in the valley. The first 2ish miles before dropping down to Pony Bridge are kind of a rough way to start the hike. The trail is essentially straight and continually uphill. Once you pass this section, the trail becomes a lot more enjoyable. We stopped at Pony Camp about 2.5 miles in for lunch before continuing on. We did pass another ranger who made sure we already talked with his co-workers. The trail was not crowded at all but we did pass a few groups of hikers. Our first night was spent at O’Neil Creek Camp (about 6.5 miles in but we clocked over 8 miles). We snagged the last open site right on the river. There is a bear hang wire set up at this camp if you don’t have a vault. Enjoyed our evening before turning to bed for some much needed sleep.

Day 2: We had a slow morning sipping coffee and eating breakfast before hitting the trail at 9:00 a.m. This stretch of trail to the valley becomes even more beautiful with lots of meadows and glimpses of mountain peaks ahead. Passed a herd of elk with a few babies! Stopped at Pyrites Camp for lunch before pressing on to the valley. After Pony Camp, the elevation gain is very gentle - lots of small ups and downs so you never got super tired of just going up.

Got to the valley around 2:30 p.m. (we clocked 8 miles) and had plenty of campsites to pick from. Only 3 other groups were staying in the valley and everyone was very kind. We were so spread out it felt like we had the whole thing to ourselves which was lovely. Our afternoon was spent chilling by the river, checking out the chalet, and exploring the valley. SO enchanting- it definitely lives up to its name. Dinner tasted especially good this night!

Day 3: We woke up to an elk across the river from our tent and took our sweet time soaking in the valley while drinking coffee and packing up. It would have been nice to have stayed one more night in the valley in hindsight, but I feel lucky we even got the 1.
Started our trek back to O’Neil around 10:00 a.m. We passed a few folks who warned us about bears they had passed but we never saw one. This night we were all alone at O’Neil.

Day 4: We woke up around 5:30 a.m. to try and get an early start for our hike out - Hit the trail at 8:00 a.m. Stopped at a gorgeous little camp spot right on the river with good sun before Pony Camp for lunch and chatted with a couple groups of other hikers. Made it back to our car at 1:00 p.m.

Our final stats:
Miles: 32.25
Elevation Gain: 3,942

Mostly my trip reviews give trail status, trail work that needs to be done, and my general impression of the trail; this one will be a little different. 

My wife and I hiked to Enchanted Valley and back in three nights/four days and it was awesome. The first day we went 7 miles and stayed at O'Neil, 7 more miles on the second day took us to Enchanted Valley and literally the best campsite of our lives, then back to O'Neil for another night, and on day 4 we hiked out. Overall we went 28 miles with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. 

The waterfalls in the valley are jaw dropping, but the most amazing part of the hike to me were the giant trees that run the length of the trail. Imagine the entire Olympic Peninsula being covered with trees this size 200 years ago, sadly you don't have to imagine most of them being cut down. 

We need to protect the wild places that are left and to do this we need more allies. Fortunately there is something relatively simple we can all do. Take people in your life for a walk in the woods.

There is something magic in a forest of 1,000+ year old trees, in a river that flows unimpeded by man made dams, in a herd of elk that has never learned to fear people. Go see this magic for yourselves, then share it with others. If we get enough people to care about it, then maybe we'll save it.