Towards the upper end of the Enchanted Valley Trail up the East Fork Quinault Trail in the Olympic National Park is Anderson Pass. Across the pass is the West Fork Dosewallips valley and trail. This is a heavily used combination allowing a fairly easy crossing of the park. Mt Anderson it the central peak in the image here with Anderson Glacier. This view is from a spot still a couple miles below Anderson Pass.
If you are hiking to the Enchanted Valley on the East Fork Quinault River in the Olympic National Park, O’Neil Creek Camp is a nice easy mid-way camp at 6.7 miles (10.8 km). The river has wandered back and forth across the valley and there are nice sandy spots and fewer mosquitoes on the river bed than you find under the trees where the campsites are located. You can play with the rocks (or enjoy the work of others who have) or, if you’re lucky, watch the elk.
The Enchanted Valley Trail runs up the East Fork Quinault River valley in the Olympic National Park. It is one of the most heavily used trails in the park. The big attraction for hikers is in the spring and early summer when they hike in to see the abundant water falls (some claim a thousand) flowing off the ridge to the north side of the valley as the snow melts out of the high country. In the summer, many hikers cross the Olympics using the North Fork Quinault trail up to Anderson Pass and then continuing on the West Fork Dosewallips trail. Below is one of the many stream crossing.
This huge Western Hemlock is signed as the Largest Known Western Hemlock. (there has been arguments back and forth between Washington and Oregon about which state has the largest tree) That’s my pack leaning against it … it’s a large expedition pack … not a small daypack. This wonderful tree is located in the upper East Fork Quinault valley in the Olympic National Park.
The Enchanted Valley trail runs up the East Fork Quinault in the Olympic National Park. This is a rain forest valley and the forest is primarily Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock. Along the river bottom there are willows, maples and lots of alders. The image below is a small group that is in the middle of the stream bed … and likely to be washed away with the next big storm.
