Olympic National Park, WA
Old-growth river valley, rough meadows, and a hard-won alpine lake.
Overview
Upper South Fork Skokomish River Trail is a 15.2-mile out-and-back to Lake Sundown, about 7.6 miles each way from the shared Upper/Lower South Fork trailhead. Allow around 10 hours; the route climbs about 3,325 feet and gets much rougher after the park boundary. It is for strong hikers comfortable with wet crossings and finding faint tread. The reward is a real change of scenery: old-growth river valley below, then steep forest, open meadows, tarns, and a clear alpine lake. Start early and carry an offline map; this is too long and too easy to lose for a casual late-day attempt.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs it worth the long day?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 tour“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
The first half-mile follows an old forest-road bed under alders before narrowing into dirt and forest duff. You hear the South Fork from a ledge but don't get a river view. Pass Elephant Stump and cross Rule Creek on a bridge at about 1.2 miles. Soon after, the main river crossing is on a fallen cedar. At roughly 2.4 miles the trail reaches the bank again: this time the South Fork is unbridged and must be forded.
Beyond the ford, the path can seem to vanish in a small clearing; keep straight to the cut log at the far end, then turn uphill around the knoll. Brush and devil's club crowd the tread. Startup Creek comes at about 4 miles, crossed by a fallen log when present or by rock hopping.
At about 5.1 miles the trail enters Olympic National Park and changes from a broader forest tread to a steep, narrow, eroding path. It climbs through brushy forest to Riley Camp's meadow, then crosses another marshy meadow where the tread is easy to miss. The final climb passes two small tarns and reaches Sundown Pass, listed at about 4,125 feet. The pass itself is partly screened by trees; the bigger view comes as the route drops nearly 400 feet toward the Graves Creek junction.
The lake is beyond the Graves Creek junction, so don't mistake the junction for the turnaround. Follow the Sundown Lake trail the last short stretch to the clear water and campsites. This is the route's best open-water view: frame the tarn-like lake with the meadow and dark firs, rather than shooting from the mostly tree-covered pass. The lakeside sites are backcountry camps, not services; there is no food, potable water, or toilet on the route.
The trailhead is at the end of Forest Service Road 2361, about 30 road miles from Shelton via West Skokomish Valley Road and Forest Service Road 23. The lot fits roughly a dozen vehicles or more, but has no toilet or other services. Pets are prohibited inside the park, so they cannot accompany you on the full hike to the lake. Overnight camping in the park backcountry requires a wilderness permit; this is a day-hike route when completed in one long outing.
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
ChallengingSix Ridge Primitive Trail10.6 mi · 10 hr · 4.8 mi awayA rugged ridge crossing with quiet meadows and long climbs.
ModerateWynoochee Pass Trail5.2 mi · 4.3 hr · 4.9 mi awayA rough forest climb to two small ponds at the pass.
ModerateFour Stream Trail4.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 6 mi awayA mossy creek confluence marks the halfway point to the park boundary.
EasyBig Cedar Trail (Staircase)0.4 mi · 20 min · 6.2 mi awayA short gravel path to a fallen cedar 14 feet across.
ChallengingFlapjack Lakes Trail15.6 mi · 9.5 hr · 6.2 mi awayA long forest climb ends at twin lakes below the Sawtooths.
ChallengingNorth Fork Skokomish River Trail25 mi · 16 hr · 6.2 mi awayA long river-valley walk to a remote Olympic mountain pass.
ModerateShady Lane Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 6.2 mi awayA narrow cedar trail with river views and two small bridges.
EasyStaircase Rapids Loop Trail2.1 mi · 1.3 hr · 6.2 mi awayA shady loop to river rapids and an enormous fallen cedar.Sight · 6.1 mi awayStaircase Big Cedar TreeA fallen 14-foot cedar, tucked just off an easy loop.
Picnic area · 6.2 mi awayStaircase Picnic AreaTables by the North Fork Skokomish make a handy meal stop.
Campground · 6.3 mi awayStaircase CampgroundCamp beside the North Fork beneath Olympic old-growth forest.
Ranger station · 6.3 mi awayStaircase Ranger StationSeasonal ranger help beside an easy river loop
Entrance station · 6.3 mi awayStaircase Entrance StationBuy your pass and get oriented before exploring Staircase.
Picnic area · 7.7 mi awayLake Cushman Day Use Area Site 5A simple picnic table with a view over Lake Cushman.
Campground · 8.8 mi awayGraves Creek CampgroundQuiet streamside camping, if you're up for a long gravel drive.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
