Parking
The two entrances are at the top of campground Loop B and along the campground access road. No separate trailhead lot is identified; confirm visitor parking and seasonal gate access before arriving.
Overview
About Fairholme Campground Loop
Why go
- A quick way to walk among old-growth trees and ferns.
Heads up
- The loop closes on campground roads, and dedicated visitor parking is unclear.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation626–914 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 Fairholme Campground Loop, 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
Fairholme: Camping and Lake Access0:00 / 0:35
“Fairholme is coming up at Lake Crescent's west end, with camping in old-growth forest and a separate public boat launch.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Cooking Pot Made of Wood
- The Tsunami That Dated a Quake
- The Oystercatcher’s Shell Knife
- Sol Duc Entrance Exhibit: A Quick Orientation
- 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 Fairholme Campground Loop
A short old-growth loopFairholme Campground Loop is a 0.
Fairholme Campground Loop is a 0.8-mile circuit through old-growth forest at the Fairholme end of Lake Crescent. Allow about 30 to 60 minutes. The wooded path links the top of campground Loop B with the campground access road, then campground roads close the loop. It is a brief forest walk rather than a shoreline route. Published elevation estimates differ, but the mapped terrain rises and falls enough that this is not a level stroll.
Finding the loopEnter at the top of Loop B or from the campground access road.
Enter at the top of Loop B or from the campground access road. The forest path runs between those two points; the campground-road return is less atmospheric, but it makes the full circuit. The route is short, though the climb and descent take more effort than the distance alone suggests. Stay aware of campground traffic on the road section.
Campground access and rulesFairholme campground facilities operate from late spring into early fall; water and restrooms…
Fairholme campground facilities operate from late spring into early fall; water and restrooms are campground amenities, and the store sells groceries in summer. Those services are separate from the trail. There is no dedicated day-hiker parking lot identified for the loop, so confirm visitor parking and seasonal access before setting out. Pets and bicycles are prohibited on this 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.
