South Fork Hoh River - Big Flat — Saturday, May. 17, 2003

Olympic Peninsula > Pacific Coast

The seventeen-mile trip from U.S. 101 to the trailhead is easily negotiated, though Clearwater Road is marked only by a sign pointing to Clearwater Campground. After 7 miles and a left turn, pavement gives way to packed dirt, but the going is still easy. Just keep following the signs for the South Fork Campground. The road deteriorates slightly after the campground – potholes and loose rock, but nothing that will crack your axel – from which it is only another mile or so to the trailhead. Our main concern was mud. That did turn out to be the least pleasant aspect of the trail, but only because there was so little else to complain about. There was not one single blow down. Even the mud was minimal considering that it was a) springtime on b) a relatively flat trail following c) a river through d) a rain forest. I am sure that its remoteness and relative obscurity helps in this regard. The first 0.4 miles is through second-growth forest, all spindly, moss-covered, and beautiful in the slanting rays of sunlight. It then enters the National Park and leads you among stately giants of cedar and fir with the occasional grassy glade inviting a nap. After Big Flat at 1.5 miles, the river is often heard but rarely seen, but when it is, there are some magnificent opportunities for lunch on exposed gravel beds with bleached driftwood benches. Beyond grouse, ravens, and songbirds, we saw signs of elk and bear, but no mammals chose to make an appearance in person, as it were. This could easily be attributed, though, to the fact that we were five city-smelling invaders thumping through their happy forest. The lone hiker would certainly have an exponentially higher chance for an encounter with one of these great beasts. It was a fantastic hike. I would highly recommend this or the Bogachiel (if you want more than 3.5 miles at your disposal) to the hiker seeking greater solitude than the Hoh typically offers.