My partner and I took part in the 2024 Olympic NP Marmot Survey and camped at Deer Park Campground from August 28 to September 2. It was a fantastic trip! If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by the ranger station and say hello to Donovan—he’s been with the park service for years and is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly.

We focused on surveying Maiden Peak, hiking there three times in our first three days. The trail was in great shape. Trekking poles recommended for the exposed sections on Grand Ridge.

We also ventured cross-country to Maiden Lake and some other meadows for the survey. Maiden Lake itself was a let down—muddy, full of logs, and not worth the effort. 

For the next three days, we surveyed Blue Mountain. The trails, including the Three Forks Trail and Rainshadow Loop, were in excellent shape. The survey units here required going cross-country, which was a fun challenge. Dinosaur Ridgebacks offered some beautiful views.

Unfortunately, we found that marmot numbers have declined in this area. The only place we saw them was in the boulder field south of Maiden Lake, where we spotted four individuals. A golden eagle flew over while we were there, prompting the marmots to sound their alarm calls—definitely a highlight of the trip!

Monday, 7/22 to Saturday 7/27/2024, six days, five nights

NE Olympic NP Loop - Deer Park TH (Start/End) Followed Douglas Lorain’s route in reverse. Start to #HikeaThon 2024.

Temps: Cool. Daytime upper 50s to lower 60s. Nights in lower 40s. Cold front passed over with no precipitation. Mostly sunny every day. 

Route direction: Counter-clockwise to avoid ascending Grey Wolf, Lost, and Cameron Passes in one day. Also enjoyed “shorter” daily distances - Day 2: descending Grand Pass (hard) followed by less strenuous pace to upper Cameron. Day 3: ascending Cameron early in the morning with leisurely walk into Lost River headwater bowl before Lost Pass. Walking down Lost Pass was quick and not as hard on bones as Grand Pass. Trail grade up to and down from Grey Wolf Pass was excellent (Day 4 & 5).  

Water: Lots available except from Three Forks to Deer Park. 

There were signs that Olympic NPS trail maintenance team had been attacking blow downs, installing new puncheons, adjusting slopes, and clearing vegetation, mostly along the Dosewallips. However, the trails used have been ignored for many years and will require more than just one summer of high level restoration before being in decent shape again. 

Day 1: Deer Park TH to Grand Lake (11.8 mi). After skirting Maiden Peak, my buddy Dick and I were treated to the most amazing views of both Olympic Mtns and incredible tundra flowers and plants, all in bloom. After a brief stop at Obstruction Point and conversation with Moose Lake backcountry ranger, Kat, we left with solid info for the remainder of the trip. Lillian Ridge was covered by a completely different plant community than Elk Mtn. Descent into Grand Valley from Lillian Ridge was harder than expected, probably due to the end of a long day. Grade was poor, i.e. steep, which didn’t help. Happy to find a campsite at Grand Lake after seeing it from the side of Elk Mountain for most of the hike to Obstruction. Half a dozen folks camped here and deer were thicker in number than bugs. 

Day 2: Grand Lake to Upper Cameron (6.6). Walk up to Grand Pass was unremarkable and fairly quick. Descending Grand Pass was no joke. Cameron Creek to upper Cameron went quickly and we had the basin to ourselves. There is a campsite as you enter the basin, but continue on toward the pass to find the actual camping area. Beautiful meadow, half moon, and flowers made this one of the visual highlights of the trip. Identified as a “swamp” on the map, it’s anything but. 

Day 3: Upper Cameron to Dose Meadows (4.1). Supposedly a “short day”, we did take our time, but it wasn’t a cake walk either. We thought we might do a day trip to Hayden Pass and/or Thousand Acre Meadow after setting up our camp, but that didn’t happen. Ascending Cameron Pass from the north was quick. “The gully” was a tad sketchy due to foot holds cut into bank. Remember, you can climb down facing the sides of the gully. Shorten your grip on your trekking pole and use it to climb into and out of gully (three points of contact). It was the only hazard. Shale is shale and you just have to make deliberate foot plants. After eating at the pass, we started our descent. We could see Mt. Rainier to the south within a quarter of mile of where we ate lunch. 

The trail was perfectly graded toward the Lost River headwaters and Lost Pass. We saw a family of Merlins soaring in the breeze, and numerous other passerine birds. We had neither binoculars or a bird book, so many of them went unIDed. After a brief snack break at Lost Pass, we descended the steepest part of the trip loop and legs didn’t suffer too much. Toward the bottom of the descent we saw the first signs of the recent trail maintenance work. The Dose Meadow campground is a bit odd because the best site is next to the river and water access by both upstream and downstream campsites is difficult and entering this campsite might be awkward. We finally had our first marmot sighting in the meadow! 

Day 4: Dose Meadows to Cedar Lake via XC route (9+ mi). This was going to be our first “forest walk”. Instead we got more meadows! Big meadows, too. Lots of flowers and intermittent sun/shade. The NPS maintenance crew had cleared MANY blowdowns. The ascent to Grey Wolf Pass was very comfortably graded and we were surprised that it was less of a grunt than we expected. At the pass we briefly spoke to a woman who had seen a young black bear near Falls campsite on her way up. She said it climbed a tree when it saw her. 

We branched off of the trail, found our XC route to Cedar Lake, and crested the pass to the lake before we thought better of it. We had just passed a beautiful campsite and decided to set up camp there. This was a wise choice as the fog came in quickly at the pass and soon obliterated the route down to the lake and the lake itself. It was also one of the better alpine areas of the entire trip. 

Day 5: Near Cedar Lake to Three Forks (10.1 mi.). We backtracked to the Grey Wolf trail and then descended another beautifully graded trail down the Grey Wolf River. Since it was a Friday, we bumped into a zillion folks coming from Deer Park and headed to various Grey Wolf River campsites. The flowers continued to be an inspiration as did the sphagnum moss which carpeted much of the forest floor. It was an easy walk and good folks to talk to. We camped at the horse ford between Grand and Cameron Creeks. Very comfortable and enjoyable. 

Day 6: On the trail by 8 AM, we were motivated for a nice meal at the Sunrise Cafe in Sequim. We burned up the 3100 feet/four-mile trail and passed two trail runners on their way down, anxious to tackle to the 40+ miles. When we arrived to the TH at 11:00, the place was a zoo with many, many day hikers. Got to Cafe at 12:30. Fried green tomato benny. OMG. 

Final tally:

Flowers- thick 

Animals - Not many mammals. Deer, marmots. Lots of marmot “traps” in the trail. Frogs. Notable non-sighting: crows. Lots of interesting insects and none of the nuisance kind. 

Views - stupendous

• Deer Park TH > Obstruction Point > Grand Valley > Upper Cameron > Lost Pass/Dose Meadows > Gray Wolf Pass & River > Three Forks > Deer Park
• Packed three-day weekender with 50 miles! Lots of sweating climbing those rugged passes. 
  No snow gear needed, many water sources, usual July mosquitoes, abundance of wildflowers. Lots of exposed segments, so cover up from the sun!

Day 1 - Deer Park > Obstruction Pt > Grand Valley

A very early morning start up the windy road to Deer Park. It's considerably shorter than Hurricane Ridge + Obstruction Road, and in great condition, but keep your highbeams on, and slow down at the many sharp, blind corners!
Deer Park Campground seemed pretty full for Friday morning, completely silent aside from the distant car door closing.

The ridge gradually climbs 1000ft, moving from low tree cover to fully exposed ridge by the time you hit Maiden Peak. Roaring Winds camp had some cover and wasn't fully exposed, though this could be different at dusk. Without wildfire smoke, you can easily see Port Angeles, Vancouver Island, and Mt Baker. 

Dropping down towards Obstruction Point, I skipped the Badger Valley detour, a steep descent, though it features a large, distant waterfall as a backdrop. I was surprised to find the parking lot filled, until a passing hiker mentioned the road had just opened that day for the season. 

At Grand Lake, I took a quick stop by the creek on the bushy southern shore, watching the large trout swim just feet away. I didn't wander the northern side, but sites seemed larger there. 
Moose Lake featured a nice site at the northern tip by a creek canyon. Many sites were pretty large, close to the water.

Gladys Lake was my permitted site, and I came too late to snag the secluded south-shore site near the creek. The lake itself isn't spectacular, and I couldn't find the fourth campsite, but I stuck my tiny solo setup nearby. 

Day 2 - Grand Pass, Upper Cameron, Cameron-Lost Pass, Dose Meadows

The early sunrise woke me before my alarms, and I packed up quickly to enjoy a quiet dawn coffee. I bolted up towards Grand Pass, looking over the entire valley in the morning light, now understanding why it was aptly named Grand Valley. At the Pass, two tents ringed a snowmelt tarn, sheltered in sunken bowl from the winds. A marmot sat whistling on a nearby rock.

Crossing over, the trail quickly narrows as it drops the casual weekender crowd -- the entire Grand Pass to Dose Meadows segment is marked as primitive, and given tiny dashes on the map.

Steeply descending through grassy meadows choked with wildflowers, you drop elevation quick. As you descend below the treeline, some drops are pretty steep, and two poles would definitely help here. This is a veryyyy steep descent, more of a jacket zipper than switchbacks, and my knees were trembling by the end. 

From the junction at Cameron Creek, the trail gets pretty overgrown, making for slow moving, even with little elevation gain. I spent too many breaks in the brush, exhausted from the heat, climb, and using my pole as a plant prod. A trail runner startled me from behind, to my astonishment. I have no idea where he started from, but he didn't pass me again and either was camped out there or was having a super long, super rugged loop. I passed another couple that day -- busy for a July weekend!

I eventually made it to the beautiful Upper Cameron camp at about 5400', where I had a quick snack at the small waterfall by the trail. At what looks like a pond on the map (a mostly dry bog), cross the creek and stay to the western side. 

At the base of Cameron Pass, I noticed someone ringed the delicate alpine plants with protective rocks. The steep climb is loose scree, and expect gravel to tumble under your feet. There is a gulley you'll need to cross, with punched out holes in the wall for footholds. Probably the most dicey event, but take your time and don't leap. If you decide to Spider-man it, be wary of your pack weight.

Over Cameron Pass, the higher grassy meadows descend yet again, ringing the slope until you get to Lost Pass. You get pretty good views of Olympic's peaks, and a good beating from the sun. There's only one camp area in this segment, along a small creek trickle northwest of Lost Peak, should you need to bail. 

Lost Pass down to Dose Meadows is steep, but not as dramatic as dropping from Grand Pass. It seems to be in pretty good condition, and has been brushed spotlessly by passing hikers.

Dose Meadows was toasty, and I only saw one camp. The creek is a short, steep climb to the camps. The trail up Hayden Pass seems to have been weedwhacked, but seems even more overgrown than upper Cameron. It's part of the Pacific Northwest Trail, so this may be an attempt to make it still traversable. 

Heading downstream along the Dosewallips, there are areas where it's been cut back (over 4 feet wide), and areas where it's left untouched. Also saw some pending drainage projects, so seems like there's trailwork in progress.
I noticed some wild strawberry growing along the trail (one of the raised boardwalks had a number growing on it) and snacked on some. 
Bear Camp was distant from the river and overgrown, so I took a quick stop at the shelter, noting the mouse poop on the top bunk. 

Since I was climbing Gray Wolf Pass the next morning, I wanted something closer to the junction and ended up at what's marked as Camp Marion on older maps. This former horse camp is between the Gray Wolf junction and Cub Creek, and totally dry with the nearby creek having dried up. You could opt to continue to Deception Creek camp, or a small spot west of the Gray Wolf junction. 

Day 3 - Gray Wolf Pass, Gray Wolf River, Three Forks, Deer Park TH

A long trek back out. Two hours climbing up to Gray Wolf Pass, and two more hours led me to the Falls Camp area. Like Upper Cameron, this area was cool, and appropriately named with multiple waterfalls of various sizes. 

Following the Gray Wolf River is easy going, with the shade preventing much of the annoying tall meadow overgrowth, instead featuring a gentle descent through mossy forest floors. You'll cross the river back and forth maybe 5-6 times on logs. Camp Ellis had large sites by the river, and I had my lunch here with a quick splash in the water after.

A couple folks passed by on the Gray Wolf headed in (around 10 total), most doing my exact loop in reverse (to avoid the final Deer Park climb) or a shorter loop returning via Cameron Valley. 

Gray Wolf camp had huge sites, and the Three Forks camp just adjacent had a trailwork crew based there regrading tread. An NPS guy posted at the camp radio'ed to the small crew above that a hiker was en route to their work area. 

I could have stayed another night at one of these camps, but the tantalizing short mileage to the car dangled in front of me. Three Forks back to Deer Park... those 5 miles and +3200' felt endless, but passed by surprisingly quickly. It is completely dry with no water sources, so don't be silly like me and pull only 1.5 liters of water because you didn't want extra weight. 

If I stayed the extra night, I probably would have done the detour via lower Gray Wolf River, past Slide Camp, Camp Tony, Slide Creek TH, and back via Deer Ridge for a more gentle ascent (and water)!

A great, challenging expedition that packed lots of rugged mileage in just a few short days. While Mt Rainier also has those steep ascents/descents for each river valley, Olympic's trails are nothing as manicured.
Past dayhike territory, it's quiet and a challenge, but that's why folks get drawn out here :)
Last trek was Seven Lakes > Elwha > North Fork Quinault.
Next up is Six Ridge!

Obstruction Point Deer Park Trail

Overview:  Starting from Deer Park, this descends through a forest with peekaboo views. The trees look like they suffered disease or insects or something terrible. After the descent, the ascent begins, and you climb to open ridge line with fantastic views - optionally go up to Maiden Peak here. I strongly recommend trekking poles.

Snow/Mud: nothing notable

Wayfinding: none

Water/Ford: none

Blowdowns: none

Bugs: not bad except for right around Roaring Winds (which does not appear to have accessible water for campers)

Elk Mountain cutoff to Badger Valley

Overview: this trail is down (left) where the Obstruction Point trail splits before you get to the Badger Valley trail intersection. It is signed towards Badger Valley and Grand Valley. A well marked trail down to the valley with one stream crossing, many marmot holes in the trail before you join up to Badger Valley trail. We saw several marmots out of their burrows (early evening) near the Badger Valley trail. 

Snow/Mud: none

Wayfinding: none

Water/Ford: nothing notable

Blowdowns: nothing notable

Bugs: not bad

Badger Valley intersection to Grand Lake

Overview: This is a beautiful valley with open meadows and forested sections. Little elevation gain or loss. The mosquitos made it challenging to stay still and appreciate the views of the mountains above and the large valley. Badger Creek is most enjoyable at the crossing where there is a nice log bridge and a couple of dispersed tent sites. We saw a few American Dippers in the creek. Wildflowers galore in the meadows.

Snow/Mud: some muddy sections

Wayfinding: a little overgrown in Badger Valley before Badger Creek but human trail is followable.

Water/Ford: nothing notable

Blowdowns: nothing notable

Bugs: terrible. The mosquitos were out in force.

Grand Pass trail from Grand Lake to Cameron Creek

Overview: This is a lovely stretch of trail with beautiful views and alpine lakes. Moose Lake and Gladys Lake are both gems - with stunning color. Gladys Lake tricks the hiker a bit because the part that you can see from the trail is shallow, but the back side is deep. Hiking by, you would never guess. We saw a few snowshoe hares and cascades frogs. Dauntless deer around Gladys Lake; they are nice to watch running through the shallow lake, but disturbing to follow you. From the trail split just past, Grand Lake, you climb up a well made stone trail until the stones deliver you to snow crossings and some scree to the top. Excellent views from Grand Pass and a beautiful shallow tarn reflecting snow. The section from Gladys Lake to Grand Pass is full of nice views and places to rest. The descent from Grand Pass is scree to forest with some loose footing, steep in places. 

Snow/Mud: Short snow crossings within 1/4 mile of Grand Pass. Not slushy in mid-July. 

Wayfinding: none

Water/Ford: You cross Grand Creek and it is a bit of a choose your own adventure with footprints going all over the snow on both sides. Easily crossed in boots.

Blowdowns: nothing notable

Bugs: not bad once past Gladys Lake

Cameron Creek trail (Lower)

Overview: The first 3 or so miles of this trail from the Grand Pass trail intersection are meadow bushwhacking interspersed with short forest sections. The forest parts are generally shaded and well marked; the meadows are heavily overgrown and require constant attention to not step in holes. Recommend pants and not shorts. Beautiful wildflowers and so many future berries. Around 6 miles, there were a few ripe salmonberries and golden raspberries - some blueberries already filling out in mid-July, but most berries we saw along the trail were still flowering. 

Snow/Mud: some short muddy bits, nothing that will eat your boots.

Wayfinding: Meadow bushwhacking, but you can generally stay on the ‘trail’. One creek crossing appears to have moved, but there is tape/flags to mark your crossing.

Water/Ford: two creek crossings about 4 and 5 miles in; the first has a very nice large downed tree as a bridge. The second looks like it washed down the creek, unmoored from its original location, and it is at an angle - still easily crossable and flagged - even if it looks rough. 

Blowdowns: in places, there are many washout or blown down tress requiring climbing over or navigating rockfall. However, all are passable with minimal effort. The sketchiest part is right around where the Lower Cameron campsite is identified on the map. No tent sites or water access to be seen, but a mess of trees to scramble through. 

Bugs: not bad

Three Forks trail to Deer Park

Overview: This is a relentless uphill slog through a silent forest (no birds to speak of), so your breath and steps are the only accompaniment. At just over 4 miles, it will feel much longer because it is monotonous. However, there are peekaboo views at the top, and plenty of places to choose to take a break. For most of the climb, you are walking in a sea of salal - which may mean bears to observe in the fall or a few berries if you like bitter things. Make sure you fill up on water at Three Forks because there is only one stream - running mighty low in mid-July about 2 miles up. 

Snow/Mud: none

Wayfinding: none

Water/Ford: none. 

Blowdowns: nothing notable

Bugs: not bad

Summary

It threatened to rain on Saturday and Sunday, but I managed a lovely weekend of quiet solitude with barely a smattering of the wet stuff. Thank goodness for rainshadows! In case you're curious, the rhododendrons are just starting to pop! If you have your eye on seeing the bloom this year, you likely have a couple of weeks before the peak.

Road Conditions and Parking

I had a leisurely morning and drove over to the peninsula, often through some fairly heavy rain that had me second-guessing my backpacking plans for the weekend. I arrived at the Slab Creek and Deer Ridge trailhead parking lot just a bit before 3 p.m. As I made a loop, I'd head out on one and return on the other. 

The drive-in was typical: a bit muddy, with quite a few potholes and a couple of very large mud puddles that could have been mistaken for small ponds. Most cars will be fine on this road; you must take it slow. Be mindful of the road edge, as I saw a vehicle that fell off the road in an attempt to avoid the worst of the potholes.

When I arrived, the parking lot, with about eight cars, was quite full. There was easily room for 1-2 more, and then there would have been ample shoulder-side parking for quite a few more. Be warned that this trailhead does not have cell reception or bathroom facilities.

Trail Conditions

Slab Creek

I typically try to get to the Buckhorn wilderness once in the Spring to peep the rhododendrons in bloom. This year, I was a tad on the early side, as things were just starting to pop! But, there were a few blooms along the trail, and many buds were still prepping for their display.

This section of the trail was smooth sailing. No significant or minor obstacles. Passed a few parties on their way back to the car, but by no means anything one could consider busy. I met my last trail companion at the Gray Wolf River Trail junction. She was trail running the same loop, but in the counterclockwise direction, and reported no natural hazards, nice campsites, and nary a soul in sight. Perfect!

Gray Wolf River

Before heading towards my destination for the evening, I decided to go on a side quest to the site of the now washed-away footbridge that spanned the Gray Wolf River. It is a stretch to call this 1-mile stretch a trail as it is no longer maintained, is infrequently trodden, and is barely a footpath in many places. There are many down trees to crawl over, under, and around. The path is narrow and eroding in many sections, making the journey slow, and one needs to be mindful of where one steps.

Once back on the main trail, it was a slow and steady climb up and through the forest past Slide Camp and Gray Wolf Camp to my final destination, Three Forks Camp. There were a few blowdowns, but all were easy to step over or around.

There was already another party at Three Forks when I arrived. They were in the space nearest to the shelter and privy. This was fine by me, as I was hoping for a creekside camp space, of which there were several a tenth of a mile behind me at Gray Wolf Camp, but I found precisely what I was looking for just a few hundred meters down a side trail from the shelter.

Three Forks

After a very leisurely morning of creekside coffee and books, I began grinding my way up the four-ish miles of the Three Forks trail. To be honest, I was expecting worse. The incline is steepest in the final mile or so, but earlier on, this steepness was tempered by the many switchbacks. Again, there were a few downed trees but nothing of consequence. Near the top, the forest gives way to more barren slopes, which are putting on their springtime flower display.

Deer Park + Ridge

I left at the trail junction to check out Deer Park camp and have a snack before returning to my car. At first, I was slightly disappointed as I did not spy a single deer in their namesake park, but just as I was settling into the picnic table at site 16 for a snack, the deer began to emerge. These deer seemed hopeful for a handout as they cautiously approached my picnic table in an ongoing procession of visits. Ultimately, I encountered 12-15 deer roaming about in the open before I packed up and began the return trip down Deer Ridge to my car.

After ambling about with moody, expansive views above the treeline, the trail plunges back into the forest and down the ridge. This section of trail felt the most steep and muddy to me, so I kept my speed in check, as I didn't want to slip and slide. The last mile or so of the trail is flanked with rhodies.