Olympic National Park, WA
A rough climb to an alpine pass and wide mountain views.
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 tourMore 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
Cameron Pass Trail is a 3.6-mile, one-way climb from the Grand Pass Trail junction to Cameron Pass. It crosses brushy, stream-laced meadow into Cameron Basin, then climbs steeply to the pass for wide mountain views. The route gains about 2,300 feet. This is a remote wilderness segment, not a roadside day hike: the long approach to its starting junction is extra.
Below Cameron Basin, the tread is primitive, brushy and difficult to follow. The route crosses a meadow cut by small streams before opening into the basin. From there it climbs steeply to the pass. Allow about four hours for the segment itself; that estimate does not include the approach.
From Obstruction Point Trailhead, the Grand Valley/Grand Pass approach is about 7.7 miles one way to the junction where this segment begins. Those miles are not included in the 3.6-mile trail distance. If you return to Obstruction Point the same way, the junction-to-pass segment makes the full out-and-back at least 22.6 miles. Plan this as part of a backcountry itinerary, not a quick pass visit.
The usual season is late July through September, but snow and ice can linger into late July or August. Snow-covered travel can require map-and-compass skills, an ice axe and self-arrest ability. Overnight camping in Cameron Basin requires a wilderness permit and bear canister; fires are prohibited and basin camps have no toilets. Dogs are not allowed on wilderness trails; 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
ChallengingCedar Lake Way Trail4.2 mi · 5 hr · 3.1 mi awayA steep, brushy climb to a tucked-away mountain lake.
ChallengingCameron-Lost Pass Primitive Trail1.9 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.4 mi awayA rugged high-country connector between two remote passes.
ChallengingLost Pass Primitive Trail1.6 mi · 2 hr · 4.1 mi awayA steep, primitive climb to a high-country pass.
ChallengingGrand Valley via Grand Pass Trail12 mi · 9 hr · 4.6 mi awayThree lakes, an alpine ridge, and a long climb to Grand Pass.
ChallengingBadger Valley Primitive Trail8.6 mi · 6.5 hr · 4.6 mi awayA steep descent into wildflower meadows, followed by a long climb back.
ModerateObstruction Point to Deer Park Trail7.4 mi · 4.5 hr · 4.6 mi awayA high ridge crossing opens views across the Strait and Olympic range.
ChallengingHayden Pass Trail8.3 mi · 8 hr · 5.7 mi awayA remote 8.3-mile climb from Hayes River to Hayden Pass.
ModerateEagle Point Trail1.4 mi · 1.5 hr · 6 mi awayA faint 1.4-mile route to Eagle Point's open summit
Campground · 7.5 mi awayDeer Park CampgroundA 5,400-foot camp with mountain views and a steep gravel approach.
Sight · 7.8 mi awayBlue MountainA half-mile loop to broad Strait and Olympic Mountain views.
Sight · 9.7 mi awayMorse Creek OverlookA quick roadside geology stop with an ice-age lake and pillow basalt.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
