Tag: North Fork Skokomish

Staircase Area, Olympic National Park

North Fork Skokomish Delta

We took a trip down to the North Fork Skokomish area this last weekend and parked just outside the Olympic National Park boundary … since the road was blocked off at that point. There is a nice forest service day use park there (but it’s small). It’s a mile and a half up a blacktop road to the Staircase Ranger Station and Campground … and we brought along our bikes. It was a nice ride (i.e. flat) and once we got to the campground, the road ended and we hiked up the river for a mile and a half, to the Staircase Rapid bridge. A beautiful winter day … lots of folks out enjoying the sun … but we were the only bikes. There were a lot more cars parked along the road than were day hiking. I’m sure there were several parties winter backpacking … much heartier than I.

The image below is just by the campground where we left the bikes.

View of the North Fork Skokomish from the Ranger Station bridge.
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Early Fall

Staircase Camp Area

I have visited the Staircase area of the Olympic National Park probably more than any other location in the park. My first visits were as a teenager, back in the mid-sixties. It has changed quite a bit in the last 60 years or so. Roads have been closed. Immense trees have fallen. New bridges (including more than one at one location, after nature removed one that had replaced an old wooden bridge). But in many ways the area hasn’t changed much. It’s still as beautiful as ever. The river is the North Fork Skokomish.

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Sunrise at Home Sweet Home

Sunrise at Home Sweet Home

This is one of my favorite backpacking photos. We were camped at Home Sweet Home where the shelter had previously stood … since collapsed due to heavy snow and lack of maintenance (Olympic National Park budget cuts). Home Sweet Home is reached by hiking (13 miles) up the North Fork Skokomish trail and crossing First Divide. Shortly after starting the drop down into the Duckabush valley you find this lovely meadow.

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