Blue Glacier Viewpoint Trail

This is the final out-and-back spur from Glacier Meadows to a viewpoint on Blue Glacier’s lateral moraine. The mapped tread is about 2.3 miles round trip, with roughly 700 feet of climbing; the park describes the steep uphill leg as 0.9 mile, while the connected mapped line reaches about 1.1 miles each way. Allow about two to three hours from Glacier Meadows. This listing covers only the spur: Glacier Meadows is already about 17.3 miles up the Hoh River Trail, so the full trip from the Hoh Rain Forest trailhead to the moraine and back is roughly 37 miles. Treat it as a demanding backpacking add-on, not a day hike from the road.

The Hoh approach starts in rainforest and stays relatively gentle for much of its first stretch before climbing toward Glacier Meadows. Before camp, the route crosses a washed-out avalanche chute: you descend a steep, loose slope by rope ladder, then follow marked flagging across the rocky wash to the trail again. That obstacle is on the Hoh River approach, before this spur, but it’s part of getting here. There’s no food or gas at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, so plan provisions before driving in.

An overnight trip requires a wilderness camping permit, and food, garbage, and scented items must be stored in bear canisters. Pets aren’t allowed on this wilderness route. Stop at the moraine viewpoint: Blue Glacier travel and climbing Mount Olympus are technical mountaineering objectives that require specialized skills and gear.