This was a great hike for us today with our kids! The trail was muddy in spots but the biggest complaint was several spots were so overgrown it was hard to get through comfortably! But if that was the worst thing, it was a wonderful hike! Would definitely do again; we felt like we really got the “rainforest experience”!

Beautiful home right by the water and lodge.

As part of a scouting for an upcoming trail maintenance crew on these trails, we hiked all the trails from the Willaby Creek campground out to the Big Spruce trail.  The trails are all passable though with wet spots and thriving salmonberry patches due to all the rain.  Only a few fallen trees cross the trails; these can be climbed over or around by most folks but two would pose a definite challenge to any mobility-impaired hikers.  The Willaby trail is in fairly good condition though two water crossings which could lead to wet feet.  These conditions will all be dealt with by the Gray Wolf trail crew during the first week of April.  It's a very beautiful place in a trail system that allows you to tailor hike lengths to your preferences.

While neither a long nor strenuous half mile loop trail, this to me was a "diamond in the rough."  Adjacent to a parking lot with restrooms next to Lake Quinault, just off Hwy 101 south of Forks by about an hour or so, this trail features some fairly large old growth trees.  This interpretive trail with about 10 informational signs spread throughout is at times a fairly narrow foot path with some ups and downs, but nothing bad.  It's rated as easy and is definitely suitable for both seniors and children.  Lots of ferns and moss as you would expect in the rain forest region of our beautiful state of WA.  A single day $5 permit is required which can be purchased through a machine with a credit card at the parking lot.  The abundance of very large mature trees...spruce and cedar included...was awesome to me as an ex-Forester.  If you're in the area, it's well worth the visit.  Also, be aware that the World's Largest Spruce tree is just down the road on the south side of Lake Quinault.  It too is well worth taking a few more minutes to go see.  It's huge and just a short level walk from a South Shore Road pull-off! 

The Gray Wolf trail crew spent April 11-14 clearing trails by beautiful Lake Quinault.  Over 15 logs were removed from the nature trails by the lodge with attention also given to fixing the worst of the drainage issues so as to get water off the trails.

This year, much of the emphasis went to the Willaby Creek trail which hasn't seen a trail crew since 2013.  That trail is now re-opened to the current end at Willaby Creek.

The crew removed over 25 logs blocking the trail including several that were extremely difficult to crawl under, over, or around.  We extensively brushed the trail so the route is now visible.  More work remains and the Forest Service is expecting another crew later this year to further restore the trail.  But don't wait for that; this is already a pretty trail and provides wonderful isolation for such a short hike.  

Aside from heavy rain the first day, the weather was clear and beautiful.  Unfortunately, this brought out the mosquitoes during the evenings.  Mist on the lake in the mornings and bright stars at night were a wonderful counterpoint to the itching bug bites.

To see more photos of the work or to join us on a future outing, see our website below.