If you’re interested in a comprehensive guide covering everything needed to know about hiking the Enchanted Valley Trail in Olympic National Park, this is the proper place! Time was spent over a few nights exploring the valley in the backcountry, and it was absolutely enjoyed.
We are here to assist you in planning your backcountry trip by applying our own trail experiences to aid in your preparations.
Luxuriant, fern-filled rainforest gives way to a fertile green valley with a river winding through it, surrounded by tall, rocky peaks with waterfalls running from their tops to the valley floor hundreds of feet below.
Plus, a classic chalet from almost a century ago (constructed in the early 1930s) that makes for memorable photos.
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Where can this slice of paradise be found, you ask? It’s the Enchanted Valley, and it’s one of our favorite hikes in Olympic National Park. You’ll need to hike at least 27 miles round trip along the East Fork of the Quinault River to experience it yourself.
If you want to deeply explore the remote areas of Olympic National Park but don`t want to deal with mountain passes involving thousands of feet of elevation gain, the Enchanted Valley may be a good choice for you.
You need to understand upfront that this hike definitely calls for a MINIMUM of one night (more details on that below). It’s too distant for a day hike.
On the off chance that you’ve just got a piece of a day, walk either as far as Pony Bridge to check the roaring Quinault River streaming through a fern-lined gorge, or continue out to Fire Creek Bridge, which takes you further into the rainforest (the stretch of trail between Pony Bridge and Fire Creek was our top choice piece of the walk, for what it`s worth).
In the guide below, we’ll go through everything you need to know to hike to the Enchanted Valley safely and have a great trip into the Olympic wilderness.
We`ll cover how to obtain backcountry permits, accessing the trailhead and parking situation, essential items to bring such as a bear-proof canister as required, and provide a play-by-play of hiking along the trail.
By the conclusion, you`ll possess all necessary information to not only acquire permits but also embark on the trail this summer/fall season.
Sound good to you? Let’s get into it.
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Table of Contents
Hiking into the Enchanted Valley: Trail Details
Before we delve into the detailed guide to the hike out to the Enchanted Valley in Olympic National Park, here is a brief overview of the trail.
Note: I am NOT covering the hike past the valley up to Anderson Glacier, which merits an extra day to tackle and adds 10 miles and 2,500 feet of elevation gain to the hike.
- Distance: 27 miles (ish)
- Elevation Gain: 3,700 feet (ish)
- Trail Category: Out and Back
- Trailhead Location: Graves Creek Trailhead
- Highlights: A magical, gradual ascent through a ferny forest with moss-covered trees and a rushing river keeping you occupied before emerging into a lush green valley, where you’ll find the (nearly) century-old Enchanted Valley chalet.
- Starting Altitude: 700 feet
- Maximum Altitude Attained: 1,700 feet
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The Best Time to Hike to the Enchanted Valley
Summer presents your best chance for consistently warm, dry weather. In the Pacific Northwest, that essentially means July and August.
We hiked this trail in mid-August, and it actually rained on us on our first day of hiking.
However, the rain was more akin to a mist, and was not even sufficient to prompt Alysha (a lifelong Californian with small endurance for rain) to don a rain jacket.
The fact that this hike is at a lower elevation than most of the other great hikes in Washington means that you’re going to be able to access it earlier AND later in the season.
In May, June, and October, access to the trail is still possible, but weather will be cooler, gloomier, wetter, and more unpredictable. You`re highly likely to encounter rain, so come fully prepared with good rain gear.
It`s unlikely you`ll come across snowfall within the Enchanted Valley, but probable higher elevations like Anderson Glacier and regions of the trail past the area would see accumulating flakes if venturing farther up. If snow coverage is what you wish to experience, planning the climb towards the glacier later in the season would be advisable.
Route Options for the Hike to the Enchanted Valley
There is essentially only one way in and out of the valley, so there is no need to worry about “should I do this trail clockwise or counter-clockwise”.
Instead, your biggest decisions will involve determining the number of nights spent camping as well as selecting locations.
In this section, we’ll tackle both.
How Many Nights to Spend on the Trail?
- Pass Necessary: Discover Pass (there’s no place to purchase one at the trailhead, so come prepared!)
At a high level, we would suggest allocating either two or three nights on the trail.
To get out to the Enchanted Valley and back, it’s 27 miles total. It certainly isn`t the least physically demanding hike in the world, but I also don’t think it should be classified as “easy.”
On our last day, we hiked the approximately 13.5 mile trail out of the valley, which is mostly downhill, and by the end of the trail we were completely exhausted.
With only two nights, you`ll end up hiking the entire 13.5 mile distance to or from the valley in a single stretch.
If choosing whether to hike the entire route there or back, we would certainly suggest doing it on the return trip, which is mainly downhill.
It’s worth noting that this trail is too lengthy for a day hike. You should plan on investing at least one night in the wild.
Here are some recommendations on how to invest one, two, and three nights on the trail.
- 2 days / 1 night: If travelers only have one night available, completing this itinerary is achievable. We could recommend hiking nine miles into Pyrites Creek to set up camp for the evening, then tackling the trail to the Enchanted Valley early the following day (hikers may opt to leave their camping equipment at Pyrites to lighten the load for that portion of the trip) before dismantling camp and heading back to the trailhead. In total, the second day would involve approximately 15 miles of hiking, give or take half a mile.
- 3 days / 2 nights: This duration is ideal if not wanting to carry on past the Enchanted Valley up to Anderson Glacier (which adds 10 miles and 2,500 feet of elevation gain). Spend the initial night at Pyrites Creek, the second at the Enchanted Valley, and hike out completely on the third day. We’d opt for Pyrites Creek over O’Neil Creek, on which we’ll expand below.
- 4 days / 3 nights: Should you have an additional day available, planning to spend an extra night in the Enchanted Valley and adding on the hike up to Anderson Glacier as a day hike on either the second or third day would be worthwhile. Hiking into Pyrites Creek to spend the first night, getting up early and hiking the three miles into the Enchanted Valley on the second day, spending two nights in the Enchanted Valley (doing the day hike on one of the days), and then hiking all the way out on the last day is a solid itinerary. Alternatively, you could opt to bypass the Anderson Glacier portion and make the hike out easier by hiking down to Pyrites or O’Neil Creek to camp the third night.
The Campgrounds Along the Trail
There are four campgrounds between the Graves Creek Trailhead and the Enchanted Valley, and when making your permit reservation (more details on that shortly) you’ll need to select which camps you’re going to spend the night at.
They are:
Pony Bridge Camp
Roughly two miles in, this is a nice campground along the Quinault River where you’ll find a beautiful gorge with fern-lined walls. Sites are across the bridge and up the hill.
There’s also a relatively new outhouse here, which is always beneficial. The downside is that it’s so close to the trailhead that it’s almost not worth staying here for the night.
O’Neil Creek Camp
This is where we spent the first night on our two night trip, and it was roughly midway between the trailhead and the Enchanted Valley, which is why we chose it.
There are several sites along the riverbank, and a couple on the side of the trail farther from the river.
It was COMPLETELY full when we were there – we could barely find a spot on a Monday night when we arrived, which was a little unexpected.
It’s not the nicest area in the world, and we’d in fact advise pushing on to Pyrites Creek for the night if possible (which is another three miles up the trail).
O’Neil Creek does have a privy, which is a bonus. Easy water access too, since most of the sites are right along the river.
Pyrites Creek Camp
In our view, Pyrites Creek is the more enjoyable option compared to O’Neil Creek if given a choice.
The sites at Pyrites – which were on either side of the bridge over the stream – were tucked into the trees above the river. Some were right along the trail, but the ones on the far side were further down the route and were more secluded.
The disadvantage is there is no bathroom facility, so you`ll need to relieve yourself in the woods and bring any required supplies to do so hygienically.
The Enchanted Valley
We strongly recommend you do your best to spend a night in the valley itself. It’s magical. Enchanting, some might say.
The tall valley walls on your left, with their numerous waterfalls and patches of greenery, the rocky mountain peaks at the distant end of the valley, and the Quinault River running through the center of it all make this a very pleasant place to spend the night.
We did some scouting around, and our favorite spots are past the Enchanted Valley chalet along the “ridge” above the river (to the left of the chalet and main trail) and the sites in the dense forest past the chalet and turning right.
There are not just one but TWO outdoor toilets available here, and wire strung between trees to hang food bags safely if a bear-resistant container is unavailable. However, using a bear-proof canister is always recommended.
Securing a Backcountry Permit
Backcountry permits are required to spend the night in the wilderness areas of Olympic National Park.
Unlike some other backcountry permits in Washington (specifically looking at the Enchantments), it is relatively easy to obtain a wilderness permit for the Enchanted Valley.
The quotas indicate two factors.
One, like I already stated, you’ll likely be able to get a permit if you want one.
As a direct result of the ease of obtaining a permit, there will likely be a higher number of other individuals sharing the remote areas with you.
I’m sitting here the day after being out in the Enchanted Valley and am seeing ample availability for every other night in August and September. Like, 70-90 spots per night, even on Labor Day weekend.
Advance booking is advised, but timing doesn`t need to be exactly six months in advance or within seconds of the permit window opening as with some areas. Such rigid restriction causes understandable frustration.
Backcountry permits cost $8 per person, per night, plus a non-refundable $6 reservation fee. Provided that you cancel more than 7 days in advance, you get everything excluding the $6 reservation fee back.
Everything you need to know – like when permits become available and how to book them – can be found on the NPS site here.
Here are some helpful specifics for the Enchanted Valley. You will need to know your planned route – how many days and which campsites you want – to make your reservation, which we covered above):
- Go to Recreation.gov and find the page for permits for wilderness areas in Olympic National Park (psst! It’s ).
- Scroll down to the “ Available Permits” section and hit “Check Availability”.
- Select `overnight` as the permit type, include your desired entry date and group size, and then click the button labeled `Quinault` to see availability.
- An availability calendar appears! Scroll down toward the bottom to find Pony Bridge, O’Neil Creek, Pyrites Creek, and the Enchanted Valley. It indicates the number of spots available each night at each campground along the trail.
- Select the night/campground pairing you want for your first night, and the calendar automatically updates to display the next few nights. Repeat the process for your other nights.
- Once you’ve selected all your nights – you’ll see a handy checkmark for each night you’ve selected – hit “ Book Now”.
- Register, make payment for the necessary permits online, and upon completion you will receive an email verification. You can then access your permits through your Recreation.gov account which handles trip planning, reservations and more.
The other thing you need to know is that your permit will be electronically granted and you’ll need to print it out and bring it along.
Around a week before your trip start date, you’ll get an email stating your permit has been issued. You’ll need to login to your Recreation.gov account and print out your permit.
Once printed, no changes are permitted. Double check all the information – group size, dates, campsites – are correct before printing!
Getting to the Graves Creek Trailhead
The trailhead for the Graves Creek Trail is located northeast of Lake Quinault, situated at the southeastern edge of Olympic National Park within Olympic National Forest.
You should know that the last 12 miles or so follow a gravel path that is pretty well maintained and can be traveled by regular vehicles.
We drove our Honda Odyssey the entire way without issue, which probably indicates you’ll be fine too.
It can get flooded and washed out during periods of heavy rain, though. So keep an eye on the forecast.
Getting to the Graves Creek Trailhead from Seattle
(Approximately 3.5 hours / 165 miles)
Take Interstate 5 South to Olympia, where you`ll diverge onto Highway 8 West towards Hoquiam.
From there, head north on Highway 101 towards Forks. Turn right onto South Shore Road, which skirts the southern edge of Lake Quinault, and follow it to the terminus.
The last 12 miles or so will be a well-preserved dirt road, which I noted above is passable by most vehicles.
Getting to the Graves Creek Trailhead from Portland
(4 hours / 200 miles)
Take I-5 North towards Olympia, and take Highway 12 to cut over to meet up with Highway 8.
Then, follow the instructions above – take Highway 8 out to where it connects with 101, hop on 101 North, turn right onto South Shore Road, and continue it to the trailhead.
Parking at the Graves Creek Trailhead
The parking situation at the trailhead was more challenging than anticipated.
We arrived on a Monday afternoon, and the parking lot was completely filled! Not to worry though, the road is wide enough that you can park on either side of it outside of the parking lot.
We managed to find a place a few hundred feet down the road, but saw vehicles parked quite a distance out, nearly a quarter-mile away, which indicates how busy it gets on weekends.
We’d recommend parking facing away from the trailhead so that you don’t need to attempt a 20 point turn after hiking nearly 30 miles.
Be sure to show the parking voucher that comes with your backcountry permit on your dashboard!
Tips for Hiking to the Enchanted Valley in Olympic National Park
Below are a few quick tips that may be helpful during your trip.
Expect Crowds
I already mentioned this before, but you’ll need to be prepared to share the wilderness with up to 200 of your new closest acquaintances.
If you’re looking for solitude in the backcountry, this likely won`t provide it. Particularly on summer weekends, when the valley is full of backpackers.
To avoid large crowds, opt for midweek visits or travel earlier or later in the season when visitor numbers will be lower.
Be Aware of Trail Conditions
Overall, this trail is in fantastic condition. There are sturdy footbridges built over the multiple creek crossings you’ll need to make, and it’s a largely level and well-maintained journey.
However, one thing worthy of note is the number of fallen trees. When traversing the trail, there were at least ten trees laid across the path.
Fallen trees were easy to bypass or surmount along the route, and evidence suggested work to remove obstacles. Periods of rainfall can result in muddy patches requiring travelers to tread through muck at intervals.
Prepare for Black Bears
This wide vicinity, which is prime ground for berries, is essentially paradise on earth for our furry ursine companions.
Nearly every trail report I read mentioned bear sightings, and sure enough, on our night in the Enchanted Valley, guess who ambled up the path passing 50 feet from our campsite? A very furry, decently sized black bear.
You`ll need to give any bears you come across ample space. Make noise and most of the time they`ll scurry off. They`re simply there for the berries and want nothing to do with you.
Unless there is edible substances emitting pleasant aromas nearby, which brings me to my next point.
To safely store your food, a bear canister is necessary on this trail. There is bear wire at the campsites, but using a bear canister is still advisable.
You can rent a bear-proof container at the Wilderness Information Center (WIC) – more details on that here.
Keep everything that may even faintly smell – toothpaste, sunscreen, etc. in addition to your food – inside that container at all times when you’re not actively using them.
Water is Plentiful, But it Needs to Be Filtered
Since this trail largely shadows the East Fork of the Quinault River, water access is readily available.
Make sure to grab it from moving water sources (luckily the river is moving plenty fast to be safe) and treat it or filter it before drinking.
The Platypus Gravity Filter is a clever invention that we use.
You simply fill the `dirty` reservoir, attach it to the filter, place the `clean` reservoir below it (we typically hang one end from a tree and place the other end on the ground), and allow gravity to do its work. It`s magic!
Hiking to the Enchanted Valley in Olympic National Park: A Complete Trail Guide
Now that we’ve covered all the logistics and trail tips, on to the detailed trail guide.
Below, we’ll give you a play-by-play (ish) of what hiking this trail is like. Which brings me to an important point.
The trail to the Enchanted Valley is not “difficult” in the sense that you’re not gaining a large amount of elevation, but it is quite long at 13.5 miles.
And the scenery, while incredibly gorgeous, doesn’t really change all that much along the way until you’re in the valley itself. It’s both beautiful and monotonous, all at the same time.
As a result, throughout this trail guide I will often mention that the path continues its steady climb through the dense woodland.” Which is my way of informing you that the standard scenario persists.
To make it more manageable, we’re going to break it up into four sections that are conveniently aligned with the different campsites along the way.
- Trailhead to Pony Bridge
- Pony Bridge to O’Neil Creek
- O’Neil Creek to Pyrites Creek
- Pyrites Creek to Enchanted Valley
Graves Creek Trailhead to Pony Bridge
From the trail head, you`ll straightaway cross two (photogenic) bridges over the creek. Then, you`ll begin the most difficult part of the hike. This first section climbs around 500 feet or so in just under two miles.
As you reach the crest of the hill, you’ll start a descent that decreases in elevation by 300 feet. This is the most difficult part of the hike on the return journey, particularly if you do the entire 13.5 miles in a single outing.
As you near the midpoint of your hike towards Pony Bridge, located at the 2.5 mile point, you`ll start to hear the rushing water of the Quinault River, which you`ll follow all the way from Pony Bridge to the Enchanted Valley.
Pony Bridge is a charming small area and campground. The plots are situated at the rear of the trees, tucked away atop a minor bluff overlooking the waterway below.
The gorge here is beautiful, with its fern-lined walls and the blue-hued waters of the river. There is a restroom right before you cross Pony Bridge if needing to use the facilities.
Pony Bridge to O’Neil Creek
From Pony Bridge, the trail immediately begins the gradual, moderate climb that you’ll be well-accustomed to by the time you reach the Enchanted Valley.
Right away, you’ll tackle a couple of quick switchbacks to get up to a little ridge, which you’ll follow for a bit before descending down to river level.
This stretch was our favourite part of the hike in terms of scenery. At one point, Alysha remarked “Whoa, it must rain tremendously here.”
Evidence for this? An abundance of ferns pervade along this stretch of path as far as one can see, passing under multiple moss-cloaked trees generating a sensation of traversing something reminiscent of landscapes from stories for youth such as The Neverending Story or other fantastical novels of that genre.
Welcome to the rainforest!
Ultimately, the trail reaches the river`s level, where plenty of spots allow pulling over and filtering water, if needed.
The climb up to O’Neil Creek Campground is a gentle incline the entire way, and it is well-marked, located only 0.2 miles downhill from the junction via the trail.
Guidance on Fire Creek: When crossing Fire Creek via the picturesque footbridge, instincts may advise continuing directly uphill upon exit. However, this would produce an erroneous route, as we and the three subsequent groups discovered and then relayed. The path descends and veers right alongside the stream, prior to turning leftward.
O’Neil Creek to Pyrites Creek
To be honest, I don’t have particularly insightful commentary about this trail section. As warned, it`s quite routine, with rolling hills climbing steadily through forest.
You`ll be higher than the river here, so there aren`t many spots to get water if needed. You will cross two creeks – No Name Creek and Pyrites Creek – which are good places to filter water.
Pyrites Creek to the Enchanted Valley
This last stretch of the path initiates very much like the remainder of the trail.
At about two miles into the three mile journey from Pyrites Creek to the Enchanted Valley, you’ll pass through a gate that is inconvenient to open and close (it’s basically just two wooden planks stuck horizontally into vertical wooden posts).
About a half-mile later, you’ll cross the Quinault River for the second – and last – time via a narrow footbridge that takes you out above the river.
You’ll be approximately 20-30 feet above the river on a narrow bridge with a handrail on only one side. We found it rather unsettling.
Immediately after crossing that bridge, you’ll round a bend in the trail, pass through a particularly forest-like section of trail, and BOOM! There’s the lodge dead ahead.
Continue along to the Enchanted Valley chalet, and then head past it to find the most ideal campsites in the Enchanted Valley.
We recommend either continuing past the chalet and to the left to the little “bluffs” (for lack of a better word) above the river, or past the chalet and to the right into the dense forest to set up camp within the trees.
We opted for a site near the river because it was cool and cloudy, so we desired as much sun as we could obtain. On a warm summer day, I can understand why one might prefer the tree cover.
