Duckabush River Trail to Five-Mile Camp

The Duckabush River Trail to Five-Mile Camp is a hard, 10.6-mile out-and-back through river forest and over Big Hump, with about 2,300 feet of climbing. The usual turnaround is Five-Mile Camp, roughly five miles from the trailhead. Budget about six hours. The mapped route reaches the camp after 4.7 miles, while trail descriptions put it around 5 to 5.3 miles in; treat mileage along this line as approximate. The camp marker sits close to the mapped tread, but the reported distances do not match exactly.

The climb starts gently on a broad, rocky old roadbed, with a creek alongside and bigleaf maples in the forest. Around a mile in, the path passes a Brothers Wilderness sign, dips briefly, then settles into fir and pine. The Duckabush first comes into view around mile two. This stretch is the easier part; the trail gets notably steeper after Little Hump.

A scenic rest spot beside the river comes about 2.4 miles in. The water pushes between large boulders and through narrow rocky clefts. Continue roughly another half mile to a mossy grove of large cedars if you want a shady pause before the main climb. Snack Rock, higher on Big Hump, is the better stop for a broad look down the green river valley.

Big Hump is the hard part: tight switchbacks climb loose, dark rock to Snack Rock and then over the crest. After the high point, the path drops roughly 650 feet to Five-Mile Camp, so the return includes climbing back over the hump. The trail crosses a burn that began at Five-Mile Camp in 2011. Dead standing trees and unstable ground remain in that section, so choose rests and campsites carefully.

Five-Mile Camp is a popular camping and fishing area and the natural turnaround for this day hike. The mapped line ends at the nearest tread by the camp marker. The Forest Service trail continues beyond camp and enters Olympic National Park about 6.7 miles from the trailhead; that longer backcountry route is a different outing from the 10.6-mile return here. Overnight trips entering the park need a wilderness permit. Dogs may accompany hikers on leash to the camp, but pets are prohibited inside the national park.

From Quilcene, drive south on US 101 for about 15 miles to Duckabush Recreation Area. Turn west on Duckabush River Road, also Forest Service Road 2510, and continue about six miles to Forest Service Road 2510-060 and Duckabush Trailhead. The trailhead has a vault toilet but no potable water. A day-use recreation pass is required. The similarly named map pin for Duckabush River Trail is misplaced; use the official Duckabush Trailhead access.