Glines Canyon Overlook Trail

Glines Canyon Overlook is an out-and-back from Madison Falls parking, about 6.8 miles round trip—roughly 3.4 miles each way. Most of it follows the former road, with a wooded bypass around the washout and a long, steep final climb. Allow about four hours of walking, plus time at the overlook. This is a proper half-day hike for the view and the dam-removal story, not a quick stop.

The trail ends on the former Glines Canyon Dam spillway. From there, the Elwha runs through a 200-foot-deep canyon below, while the wide valley ahead is the exposed basin of the old Lake Mills reservoir. Interpretive displays explain the river restoration.

The old road is generally a moderate grade and makes up most of the walk. The wooded bypass is narrower and rougher underfoot; it returns you to the road for the approach to the overlook. There are several small paths near the rejoin, so check that you are back on the road before continuing. Save some energy for the sustained, steep push at the end.

Glines Canyon Dam was built from 1925 to 1927 and flooded an area then known as Smokey Bottom to create Lake Mills. Its removal, together with the Elwha Dam, finished in 2014 under a restoration law passed in 1992. Salmon were spawning inside the park again within months. From the overlook, the bare reservoir sediments are steadily greening while the river cuts through the canyon below.

Start at the Madison Falls Trailhead; parking is limited, and an accessible vault toilet is there. Madison Creek Falls is a separate, paved 0.1-mile walk from the lot, not part of this trail’s mileage. No food or drinking-water service was found along the route, so bring what you need. Leashed dogs are allowed on the road and bypass.