Olympic National Park, WA
A shaded leg-burner to the Aurora Ridge junction.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Olympic audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Aurora Creek: A Steep Forest Climb“Aurora Creek Trail access is coming up, for a steep climb through old-growth forest.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Aurora Creek Trail is a 6.8-mile out-and-back from Highway 101 to the Aurora Ridge Trail junction, with about 3,670 feet of climbing over 3.4 miles each way. This is a hard, sustained ascent more than a lake-view walk; allow around six hours and keep enough energy for the long descent. The route ends at the junction, not at Sourdough Mountain.
The entrance is easy to miss, and the trail quickly turns into a steep, rocky climb. Faint tread winds uphill in broad switchbacks, starting near Aurora Creek before moving onto the ridge just east of it. The grade stays moderate to steep, with little level ground. Most of the route is shaded by old-growth forest, including mossy Douglas-firs.
Expect more forest than panorama. Small openings near Sourdough Mountain may offer brief looks toward Lake Crescent and the large washout on Pyramid Mountain, depending on conditions. The Aurora Creek hike ends at the Aurora Ridge Trail junction; continuing along Aurora Ridge toward Sourdough adds a separate route and more distance.
The unmarked trail entrance is on the south side of Highway 101, about 2.6 miles west of the Lake Crescent Lodge turnoff. There is no parking at the entrance; use the roadside turnout about a quarter-mile east and allow for the short walk along the highway. There are no facilities at the trailhead. Pets are not allowed on this trail; service animals are excepted.
Wildlife
710 sightingsOlympic MarmotMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
30 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
71 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
306 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyOlympic Discovery Trail — Lake Crescent West6.5 mi · 3 hr · 1.1 mi awayA paved wheelchair-accessible link follows Lake Crescent’s north shore.
ChallengingPyramid Peak Trail7 mi · 4.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA steep climb to a WWII lookout above Lake Crescent.
EasyMoments in Time Trail1 mi · 36 min · 2.3 mi awayA mossy forest walk with a short Lake Crescent shoreline stretch.
ChallengingMount Storm King Trail4.4 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.4 mi awaySteep switchbacks end at a tree-framed Lake Crescent view.
ModerateBarnes Creek Trail6.6 mi · 4 hr · 2.4 mi awayA steady creekside climb to the upper trail junction.
ModerateMarymere Falls Trail1.8 mi · 1.3 hr · 2.4 mi awayOld-growth forest leads to close views of a 90-foot waterfall
ChallengingUpper Barnes Creek Primitive Trail18.5 mi · 12 hr · 2.4 mi awayA hard 18-mile out-and-back to a quiet creek divide.
ChallengingAurora Divide Trail14.5 mi · 11.5 hr · 2.4 mi awayA long forest climb reaches a ridge above Lake Crescent.
Picnic area · 1.3 mi awayNorth Shore Day Use AreaA dockside picnic break on a deep, glacial lake.
Picnic area · 1.5 mi awayLa Poel Picnic AreaFire rings, tree shade, and a glimpse of Lake Crescent.
Lodging · 1.9 mi awayLake Crescent LodgeA 1916 lodge for slow days on Lake Crescent.
Picnic area · 1.9 mi awayBovee's MeadowCross the meadow for a picnic beside Lake Crescent.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayMarymere FallsA mossy old-growth walk ends at a two-level waterfall view.
Ranger station · 2.4 mi awayStorm King Ranger StationA historic log cabin with stories of Lake Crescent ferries and trout.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayStorm King Boat LaunchA short dock stop for clear water and mountain views.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayDevils PunchbowlA clear-water cove framed by a curved footbridge.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
