Parking
Three Forks is a wilderness junction, not a drive-up trailhead. Reach it on foot via the Three Forks Trail from Deer Park or the Gray Wolf River Trail from the west.
Overview
About Cameron Creek Trail
Why go
- Follows Cameron Creek from forest into high-country meadow.
Heads up
- Seven miles one way, with brushy tread and difficult creek crossings.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation2,152–4,334 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Cameron Creek 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- Deer Park: Camping Above the Lowlands
- Blue Mountain: The Rain Shadow Loop
- How Ice Splits Rock
- How a Sea Star Eats a Mussel
- 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 Cameron Creek Trail
A long backcountry legCameron Creek Trail is a 7.
Cameron Creek Trail is a 7.0-mile one-way route from Three Forks to the shared Grand Pass and Cameron Pass trail junction. It follows Cameron Creek uphill through montane forest and out into subalpine meadows. This is a rough leg of a bigger wilderness trip, not a quick day walk. Budget about five to six hours for this stretch; turning back means walking it again.
Follow the creek, then watch the treadThe first mile is easier to follow and stays near the creek.
The first mile is easier to follow and stays near the creek. The route crosses the water twice; brush thickens after the first crossing, and about a mile later the second crossing uses a footlog. Farther up, forest opens into meadows where the tread can fade between openings. The climb comes in steeper bursts, and the park says map-and-compass skills may be needed where snow or faint tread leaves little to follow.
The upper valleyEngelmann spruce and creekside forest give way to high-country meadows near the route's upper…
Engelmann spruce and creekside forest give way to high-country meadows near the route's upper end. Cameron Creek Trail finishes at a junction with routes toward Grand Pass and Cameron Pass. The climb to Grand Pass and the Cameron Basin route continue beyond this trail's endpoint; don't count either as part of the 7.0 miles here.
Plan for wilderness conditionsThe park's typical season is late June through October, but snow can cover high sections at any…
The park's typical season is late June through October, but snow can cover high sections at any time of year. Heavy rain or snowmelt can make either creek crossing difficult or impassable. Three Forks, Lower Cameron and Upper Cameron are backcountry campsites; there are no toilets, and creek water needs treatment. Overnight camping requires a wilderness permit and bear canister. Pets aren't allowed, and fires are prohibited above 3,500 feet.
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.
