Parking
Use the west-side pullout at Beach 1 on Highway 101; the trail starts at its edge. An east-side pullout also exists, but reaching it requires crossing a 55 mph highway without a crosswalk.
Overview
About Spruce Burl Trail
Why go
- Distinctive spruce burls make a short walk worthwhile.
Heads up
- High roots and a narrow bridge interrupt an otherwise gentle path.
Map & elevation
The route
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 Spruce Burl Trail, 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
Kalaloch Beach One and the Spruce Burls0:00 / 0:30
“Up ahead is Kalaloch Beach One, where the forest walk has an attraction of its own: the swollen burls on the Sitka spruce. Use the pullout on the ocean side of the highway, where the trail starts.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kalaloch Beach Two: A Steep Little Beach Stop
- A Paycheck in the Forest
- Kalaloch Lodge: Seafood Above the Pacific
- Kalaloch Beach and the Tree of Life
- 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 Spruce Burl Trail
A quick stop for the burlsSpruce Burl Trail is about a 0.18-mile loop from the west-side Beach 1 pullout near Kalaloch.
Spruce Burl Trail is about a 0.18-mile loop from the west-side Beach 1 pullout near Kalaloch. Give it around 15 to 20 minutes if you stop along the way. It winds through spruce forest past the swollen growths that give the trail its name; the payoff is close-up texture, not a seascape. If you're already stopping at Beach 1, this is a short, unusual walk without much extra planning.
Follow the two junctionsWalk up Beach 1 to the signed turn, take the burl loop, then follow the path back to Beach 1 at…
Walk up Beach 1 to the signed turn, take the burl loop, then follow the path back to Beach 1 at its second junction and return to the pullout. The trail is compacted gravel, usually about two feet wide, and the grades are gentle. Stay on the marked loop; the beach access continues separately beyond it.
Watch your footingRoots cross the tread, especially on the ocean side, and some stand 8 to 10 inches high.
Roots cross the tread, especially on the ocean side, and some stand 8 to 10 inches high. A short, narrow bridge is another spot to take slowly. Gentle grades do not make this path smooth, so watch your step across the rooty sections.
The beach walk is separateThe burl loop does not descend to the shore.
The burl loop does not descend to the shore. Beach 1 continues down a long staircase, then across a footbridge and over a notched fallen tree before reaching the beach; that is a different, rougher extension. Dogs are not allowed on this trail, even though leashed pets are permitted on Kalaloch beaches.
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.
