Mileage: 5 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 1700ft/6050ft
Map: Green Trails Elwha North-Hurricane Ridge No. 134S, Custom Correct Hurricane Ridge
Favorite Eats After Hike: Butcher & Baker Provisions, Turnip The Beet, Nourish Sequim, Finn River, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
My Hike:
2/15/2015
This hike was part of a Valentine’s Day Weekend at a friend’s house on the peninsula with day hikes into the mountains. We also did Mt. Townsend but with less blue skies.
The trail head was small, maybe room for 8-10 cars if everyone parks judiciously. This was a VERY low snow year, we were taking advantage of the road to Hurricane Ridge being open so soon. It felt like spring as we headed up the Switchback Trail, which lives up to it’s name by doing most of the elevation gain in the first 1.5 miles. The trail was wet and muddy in spots and just defrosting from the night chill so things were a bit slick.
Once we made it to the junction with the trail to Hurricane Ridge, we turned right and headed up to Victor Pass at 5850ft. From here the snow covered the ridge and we only made it a bit further before calling it a day. You could see down into Port Angeles and the San Juan beyond, as well as Mt. Baker in the distance!
I included some photos at the end that someone else took in the group. Her name was Mafalda and she took some great shots of us that day. I heard that she had passed away this year (2016) and the world lost a beautiful person. She is the one pictured coming up the hill with the green shirt on and camera around her neck.
Directions: From Port Angeles, follow Race St south for 1.2 miles to Hurricane Ridge Rd, past the Olympic Wilderness Information Center. Continue for 14.8 miles to a parking lot for the Switchback Trail on the right side of the road. You will need a National Park Pass or pay the NP entrance fee.
Click here for more hikes on the Olympic Peninsula.
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