Parking
Start at Graves Creek Trailhead. A restroom and information facilities are listed there; parking capacity and overflow details are not published.
Overview
About Graves Creek Trail to Lake Sundown
Why go
- Old-growth creek forest, a high bridge and an alpine lake in one demanding route
Heads up
- A remote 14.6-mile return with nearly 4,000 feet of gross climbing
- Unbridged creek ford and rough, brushy, hard-to-follow upper trail
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation725–3,907 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 Graves Creek Trail to Lake Sundown, 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
Graves Creek: Pony Bridge or Enchanted Valley0:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing Graves Creek Trailhead, where the route to Enchanted Valley begins.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Graves Creek Campground and the River Meadow
- The Wolves Olympic Lost
- The Bat’s Feeding Buzz
- North Fork Quinault: Camp or River Walk
- 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 Graves Creek Trail to Lake Sundown
A very long climb to the lakeGraves Creek Trail to Lake Sundown is a 14.
Graves Creek Trail to Lake Sundown is a 14.6-mile out-and-back from Graves Creek Trailhead: the lake is 7.3 miles one way, with about 3,918 feet of gross climbing. The trail starts across a high bridge over Graves Creek, follows the creek through mossy old-growth forest, then climbs into rocky, brushy subalpine country and finishes at Lake Sundown's gravel shore. This is a hard wilderness hike; budget roughly 13 to 14 hours for the full return. If that would make the day a race, plan an overnight instead.
The creek crossings and climbThe lower trail winds through forest and crosses several creeks. Around 3.
The lower trail winds through forest and crosses several creeks. Around 3.5 miles in, Success Creek is a ford, not a bridge; high water can make it difficult or unsafe. Beyond it, the tread gets steeper, rockier and brushier, and the upper route is slow to follow. Near Riley Camp, the trail can seem to stop in a meadow: cross to the far side and look for its flagged continuation.
Lake SundownThe lake sits below green meadow slopes, with a gravel shoreline at the end of the climb.
The lake sits below green meadow slopes, with a gravel shoreline at the end of the climb. Snow can linger into early summer. Exposed slopes near Lake Sundown and Sundown Pass can require an ice axe and the skill to use it. The return follows the same corridor for another 7.3 miles, so leave enough time and energy for the descent and crossings.
If you campBackpacking permits are required year-round in Olympic National Park, and a campsite is listed…
Backpacking permits are required year-round in Olympic National Park, and a campsite is listed at Sundown Lake. Carry a bear canister, treat natural water, and do not light fires above 3,500 feet. Campsites have no toilets. Dogs are not permitted on this trail or in the park wilderness. Graves Creek Trailhead has a restroom and information facilities; parking capacity and overflow details are not published.
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.
