Living Forest Trail

This is a compacted-gravel loop just behind the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. The core route is 0.32 mile, with about 72 feet of elevation gain and loss; allow roughly 15–20 minutes, plus a little longer for the root-wad spur. It is an easy extra walk between visitor-center stops, not a separate destination hike. The route starts beside historic Beaumont cabin, and its identity matters: the Living Forest is a different short walk from the nearby Peabody Creek trail.

The first 420 feet climb through three switchbacks. At the loop, either direction keeps climbing. The left branch is more gradual and passes through more open forest; the right side feels denser and has a few short pitches up to 12%, squeezed between trees. A 240-foot spur leads to the exposed root wad of a fallen tree, then returns to the loop. The core loop is listed as 0.32 mile; walking the spur out and back brings the outing close to 0.4 mile.

The tread is compacted gravel, typically 3–4 feet wide, and the usual running grade is 6% or less. The visitor-center trail listing calls it wheelchair accessible, and a wheelchair can be checked out inside; the short steeper pitches and tree pinch points mean the whole loop may not suit every chair or visitor equally. Park in the visitor-center lot; van-accessible spaces are available. Pets are not allowed on this trail; service animals are permitted.