Parking
Use Hurricane Hill Picnic Area, then walk about half a mile back along Hurricane Hill Road to the Wolf Creek junction. A through-hike ends at Whiskey Bend, so plan the far end before starting.
Overview
About Wolf Creek Trail
Why go
- Bailey Range views open through the trees.
- A steady switchback descent links alpine slopes with the Elwha Valley.
Heads up
- The full out-and-back is about 16.2 miles with a big climb back up.
- A through-hike requires transport at both ends.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation1,214–4,954 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
6 active Olympic alerts
- ClosureOlympic Hot Springs and Whiskey Bend roads closed to vehiclesMentions Whiskey Bend, referenced in this guideOlympic Hot Springs Road is closed to vehicles at the Madison Falls parking area because of a washout; Whiskey Bend Road is closed to vehicles because of the Olympic Hot Springs Road washout.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Your drive to Wolf Creek 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
Hurricane Hill: Summit or Picnic0:00 / 0:33
“Up ahead is the Hurricane Hill trailhead, for a climb to an open panorama of the Olympic peaks and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Allow two to three hours for the three point three mile round trip.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Hurricane Ridge
- The Griff Fire’s Steep Slopes
- Trees That Grow Sideways
- Switchback Trail to Victor Pass
- 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 Wolf Creek Trail
A long one-way descentWolf Creek Trail is an 8-mile point-to-point route from Hurricane Hill Road down to Whiskey…
Wolf Creek Trail is an 8-mile point-to-point route from Hurricane Hill Road down to Whiskey Bend in the Elwha Valley. It drops about 3,800 feet through open upper slopes, switchbacks and forest. Plan roughly five to six hours one way. Walking back makes it about 16.2 miles with the full climb to regain; for a shorter outing, descend a few miles and turn around. A through-hike needs a plan for both ends.
The trail from high ground to valleyThe path follows a long sequence of switchbacks, making the descent steady rather than a…
The path follows a long sequence of switchbacks, making the descent steady rather than a straight plunge. Higher slopes are open, then the trail passes through Alaska cedar and gives way to madrone and salal lower down. There are several wet spots; salal can stay soaked after rain, so expect damp brush along parts of the lower route.
Bailey Range viewsViews of the Bailey Range appear through the trees around 3,000 feet, then open more where the…
Views of the Bailey Range appear through the trees around 3,000 feet, then open more where the canopy thins. In early summer, the sunny upper patches can be bright with wildflowers. For a photo, frame the flowers and rocky slope low in the foreground with the snow-streaked peaks beyond.
Access and rulesUse Hurricane Hill Picnic Area for the upper access, then walk about half a mile back along…
Use Hurricane Hill Picnic Area for the upper access, then walk about half a mile back along Hurricane Hill Road to the Wolf Creek junction. The route ends at Whiskey Bend, so arrange your exit before setting out. Dogs are not allowed on this trail; there are no documented food services along the route, so carry what you need for the full distance.
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.
