Olympic National Park, WA
A 13-mile forest hike to the quiet banks of Lillian River.
Overview
The Lillian River Trail is an about 13-mile out-and-back from Whiskey Bend: roughly 4 miles on the Elwha River Trail, then a 2.3-mile primitive branch each way to the river. Allow a full day, around eight to ten hours from Whiskey Bend. This is for a long, quiet backcountry walk, not a quick river stop; the riverbank is the finish, not a dramatic overlook.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
“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
Most of the approach uses the wider Elwha River Trail through forest. The route passes the Rica Canyon and Krause Bottom turnoffs, then reaches the historic Humes Ranch cabin at about 1.8 miles. Continue along the Elwha for roughly 2.4 more miles to the Lillian River branch. The cabin and its interpretive information are a good reason to pause and get a sense of the people who lived in this valley.
The branch narrows between salal and climbs gently through forest. It is rarely maintained, and the final 0.3 mile can be hard to follow under blowdowns, brush and moss. Carry a map and compass and expect to work out the faint tread near the end. The trail reaches the riverbank beside a small campsite; the payoff is the quiet, not a viewpoint.
There are no toilets on the route. Treat water from Little River and nearby streams. If you stay overnight, an Olympic wilderness permit and a bear canister are required. Pets are not allowed on this wilderness trail; service animals are exempt.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ModerateGoblins Gate Trail3.6 mi · 2 hr · At the trailheadA steep canyon spur drops to the Elwha’s narrow rocky gate.
ChallengingElwha River Trail to Lake Margaret55.4 mi · 1.2 days · At the trailheadLong Elwha wilderness trek to Lake Margaret with a required river ford.
ModerateHumes Ranch and Geyser Valley Loop6 mi · 4 hr · At the trailheadRiver flats, canyon forest and a 1905 homestead on one loop.
ModerateSmokey Hill Trail0.8 mi · 1.3 hr · 0.4 mi awayA short, steep drop into the Elwha, with the same climb back.
ChallengingLong Ridge Trail to Dodger Point21 mi · 13 hr · 2.1 mi awayA demanding ridge hike finishes at a 1933 fire lookout.
ChallengingHappy Lake Trail9.6 mi · 9 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep ridge climb drops to a grassy alpine lakeshore.
ChallengingHappy Lake Ridge Trail9.5 mi · 9.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep ridge climb opens to alpine lakes and far-reaching views.
ModerateSmokey Bottom Trail3.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayFollow the Elwha restoration story into the former Lake Mills valley.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayGlines Canyon Dam OverlookThe reservoir is gone; the river now runs through its canyon.
Picnic area · 3.2 mi awayHurricane Hill Picnic Areas A and BA summer picnic stop with mountain views along Hurricane Hill Road.
Sight · 3.9 mi awayHurricane RidgeBailey Range views from the road-end meadow.
Sight · 3.9 mi awayCirque Rim OverlookA quick paved walk to broad views across the Strait.
Sight · 4.9 mi awayOlympic Hot SpringsA long Elwha Valley walk or bike-and-hike to hot springs.
Sight · 5.2 mi awayMadison FallsA short Elwha Valley walk ends below a 60-foot waterfall.
Campground · 8.5 mi awayHeart O' the Hills CampgroundA quiet forest base for Hurricane Ridge and a woodland walk.
Sight · 8.5 mi awayMorse Creek OverlookA quick roadside geology stop with an ice-age lake and pillow basalt.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
