Duckabush River In Olympic National Forest

The Duckabush River starts in the heart of the Olympic Mountains and flows through a deep verdant valley on its way to Hood Canal. Duckabush River Trail travels near and along the river for more than 20 miles terminating at Marmot Lake in the heart of Olympic National Park. That’s a long journey primarily reserved for backpackers. Day hikers however should be content heading up this trail for just a few miles.

The Duckabush River Trail starts off gently climbing through a uniform forest of second-growth fir. At just more than a mile the trail enters The Brothers Wilderness, a 16,000-plus acre federally protected section of the Olympic National Forest. It then continues through a low gap near Little Hump and begins a descent of 250 feet. The way then follows an old logging railroad grade on an almost perfectly level trajectory.

After passing a campsite the trail finally comes upon the Duckabush River.

At 2.6 miles, reach a spectacular spot where giant cedars and firs hang over the churning, crashing river. This is a great spot to turn around and perfect for a good half day hike or one with young adventurers. Otherwise keep hiking. The trail now steadily and steeply climbs traversing a 2011-wildfire burn zone. Hardy fire-scarred trees stand among stands of fire-ravaged timber. While trail crews have since rehabilitated the tread here, avoid this section of trail during periods of high wind, as burnt snags are prone to toppling.

At a little over 3 miles come to a ledge with a spectacular view east down the river valley. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Cascades. Return to this spot later in the spring and you’ll have an array of wildflowers enhancing the views. Keep hiking and come to another outcropping before finally cresting 1700-foot Big Hump at 3.9 miles. For most day hikers, this is far enough. But if you still feel like hiking, continue through a mosaic of old growth and fire scorched trees and descend 600 feet back to the river. Here at 5.3 miles from the trailhead is a camping area near a series of impressive rapids.

During periods of heavy rain the river can be deafening here. Watch for darting dippers in the rapids as you rest up for your return to your start.

And if you are a strong hiker or are out on a several day backpacking adventure, the trail continues. But note that at 6.7 miles it enters Olympic National Park—meaning dogs are not allowed to continue—and if you are planning on camping, you’ll need to secure a wilderness backcountry permit from a national park ranger station beforehand.