Parking
The named route starts on Whiskey Bend Road near the former Elwha Ranger Station; approach from Olympic Hot Springs Road.
Overview
About Elwha to Hurricane Hill Trail
Why go
- Open meadows and Bailey Range views cap a dramatic forest climb.
Heads up
- The steep, primitive route makes for an exceptionally demanding full day.
Elwha to Hurricane Hill is an 11.6-mile out-and-back from the Elwha to Hurricane Trailhead to the Hurricane Hill Nature Trail junction, then back. The named trail is 5.8 miles one way. Allow about 12 hours and expect roughly 5,250 feet of climbing. It is a steep, primitive full-day hike; the payoff is getting from the Elwha forest into high meadows with views toward the Bailey Range. The distance ends at the junction. The paved summit nature trail is a separate continuation.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation515–5,633 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
6 active Olympic alerts
- ClosureOlympic Hot Springs and Whiskey Bend roads closed to vehiclesMentions Whiskey Bend, referenced in this guideOlympic Hot Springs Road is closed to vehicles at the Madison Falls parking area because of a washout; Whiskey Bend Road is closed to vehicles because of the Olympic Hot Springs Road washout.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Your drive to Elwha to Hurricane Hill 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 area
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 on the road 1.9 mi from the 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
- Hurricane Ridge
- 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 Elwha to Hurricane Hill Trail
From forest to meadowThe route climbs through close forest on steep switchbacks for much of its first four miles.
The route climbs through close forest on steep switchbacks for much of its first four miles. Higher up, the trees thin and the last stretch opens into broad meadows. This is where the trail meets the paved Hurricane Hill Nature Trail. Intermittent openings look toward the Bailey Range; the summit spur adds its own distance and is not included here.
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.
