Parking
Park at the Madison Falls Trailhead on Olympic Hot Springs Road. An America the Beautiful pass or park entry fee is required. The road walk from this parking area is included in the 28.3-mile round trip.
Overview
About Boulder Lake Trail
Why go
- A cliff-backed lake in a subalpine basin
- Mount Appleton views open on the climb
Heads up
- The 28.3-mile round trip includes a long road approach
- The sustained climb and seasonal creek demand careful water planning
Boulder Lake Trail is a 28.3-mile round-trip out-and-back from Madison Falls to a subalpine lake beneath Boulder Peak, with about 8,800 feet of climbing. The route includes roughly 8 miles each way along the old Olympic Hot Springs Road corridor, including its mapped bypass, another 3.3 miles to the Appleton Pass Trail junction, and a 2.8-mile climb to the lake. Plan an overnight or multi-day trip; at roughly 19 hours of walking, a one-day push is for exceptionally fit hikers. Shorter mileage figures start beyond Madison Falls and leave out most of the road approach.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation249–4,360 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
6 active Olympic alerts
- CautionUS 101 Hoh River Bridge reduced to one laneUS 101 at the Hoh River Bridge is restricted to one lane of alternating traffic; obey the signals and 25 mph speed limit.Official details
- ClosureStaircase wilderness trails and campsites remain closedWilderness trails and campsites around Staircase remain closed during recovery from the Bear Gulch Fire; the developed Staircase area, including the Rapids Loop, campground, and ranger station, is…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Your drive to Boulder Lake Trail, narrated.
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
Madison Falls: A Short Walk in the Elwha0:00 / 0:33
“You're approaching Madison Falls, a good choice for a waterfall stop without a long hike. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes for the short walk and a pause beside the sixty-foot cascade.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- How a Salmon Handles Salt
- The Sapsucker’s Sap Wells
- Hurricane Hill: Summit or Picnic
- 204 audio storiesacross Olympic’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Olympic Marmot, Humpback Whale, Grey Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 148 trails, 94 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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
Hiking Boulder Lake Trail
Follow the lake routeThe road walk is long.
The road walk is long. After the road end, the route passes Olympic Hot Springs and Boulder Creek Campground before reaching the Appleton Pass Trail junction. That lower connector is about 3.3 miles and relatively easy. At the junction, take Boulder Lake Trail rather than continuing on the separate Appleton Pass route or joining the Happy Lake Ridge loop.
The lake trail climbs steadily through fir and hemlock for 2.8 miles, without switchbacks. The grade is described as moderate on its own, but it comes after a long approach. Openings look south toward the north slopes of Mount Appleton. A small creek crosses the climb and can shrink to a damp trace by late summer.
At Boulder LakeThe lake sits in a high basin beneath steep cliffs and tree-studded slopes.
The lake sits in a high basin beneath steep cliffs and tree-studded slopes. Green-tinted water meets a shoreline of sand and smooth rock; established campsites and a pit toilet are nearby. Huckleberry and azalea ring the shore. Their autumn color and reflections make the lake especially photogenic; frame the water with the shrubs and steep backdrop rather than isolating the lake surface.
Boulder Lake holds non-native brook trout, and fishing is allowed under park regulations. In late summer, bears may forage for huckleberries in the flats east of the lake, so keep food secured in the required canister. It is a destination for the whole basin, not just a quick viewpoint, so leave time to rest, fish, or camp before retracing the same route.
Backcountry rulesOvernight wilderness camping requires a permit and a bear canister.
Overnight wilderness camping requires a permit and a bear canister. Campfires are prohibited above 3,500 feet. Treat all lake, creek, and stream water before drinking, and do not count on the small creek as a late-summer refill. Pets are not allowed on this wilderness trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Olympic
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.
