Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier Hike Guide

[@eugenefisher2566]

Thanks for allowing me to reminisce, on a school outing I did over 50 years ago. Love the area, I retired and moved here, along the sol-duc.

[@bobsmalser8304]

The ultimate Olympic experience is to take the next step and spend the night on the Olympus summit. City lights from Portland to Seatac to Vancouver and Victoria are visible and are spectacular glows in the distance in a sea of stars. In August-early September crossing the glacier isn't difficult, as all the hazards are exposed. Ropes, crampons, ice axes and minimal training are required.

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

The oxygen is fantastic out there!

[@rayeaglenz]

Enjoy all your videos, thank you for filming, editing, sharing with us 👍😊

[@Hikingguy]

Glad you enjoy them, love making them and hopefully getting some folks out on new trails 👍👍👍

[@ownrc]

I came here last spring and hiked 10 miles in, 10 miles back out. We were just checking it out and definitely not equipped for the full hike, but i’m going back at the end of march! we will conquer this trail

[@Hikingguy]

Watch out, there will still be plenty of snow in March - Aug is prob the sweet spot

[@beccacalli9881]

Excellent video. To the point and I love the map overview. Thanks!!

[@paobriones2177]

Always watching your videos... Appreciate it

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you 👍👍👍

[@InfamousMS]

Been up there a couple of times - absolutely stunning. Thanks for the video!

[@jeannekimura7995]

Looks like a great hike with lots of fun challenges--love the ladder--and gorgeous vistas. I am putting this one on my bucket list! Thank you for another great video.

[@Hikingguy]

You're welcome - && def bucket-list worthy 👍

[@kennethstarr5545]

I am hitting the trail July 2022. I can't believe how easy it was to get a permit. Olympic Ranger Station, Elk Lake, Glacier Meadows, Martin Creek, Olympic Ranger and out. I want to spend more time. It was harder to get the campground I wanted the night before, well, the space I wanted, in Hoh Rainforest Campground.

[@Hikingguy]

Ah that's great to hear, glad you grabbed the permits. And yea, that hike is a little easier to score permits for, but Glacier Meadows and Elk Lake can be tough. Have a good time, it's one of my favorite hikes. 👍

[@MaiVMoua]

Beautiful trail ❤️

[@BackcountryRenegade]

Nice. I did this a few weeks before you did and encountered quite a bit more snow which made it interesting to say the least. A bucket list for sure. Looks like you came out at the terminal moraine, I ended up going to the lateral moraine. I’ll be posting my vid later this week

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, there's was about 4-5 feet of snow past Glacier Meadow, and I can see how it was much higher right before that. Guessing with the crazy heat that its all gone at this point.

[@mischevious]

@@Hikingguy How does the ecosystem appear to be holding up with the heat and lack of significant rain?

[@Hikingguy]

@@mischevious I think the Olympics got a good level of snow over 2020-21 winter, so everything looked good but probably melted quicker with the heat this summer.

[@mischevious]

@@Hikingguy That’s a big problem. No snow pack in summer means a lack of water in a water dependent ecosystem. Add the increasing albedo, high temperatures and drying atmosphere caused by a thinning ozone layer to the mix, doesn’t bode well. Reports are coming in from around the globe right now, most critical ecosystems on the planet are stressed and in a state of decline. The Amazon, lungs of the planet and world’s largest carbon sink, is turning to a net carbon producer as we speak. It’s folks like you that spend enough time in the natural world to be able to see the difference and how rapidly things are changing with your own eyes, that we need to start sounding the alarm. Those of us in agriculture and horticulture are doing so, USDA has programs focused on the right path for the future but beyond that, we’re talking about our decreasing ability to grow food for the human race and, nothing but silence. This isn’t just some vague externality that we exist independently from. We’re talking about rapidly disappearing human habitat. Please speak up!

[@hallefarley8762]

my uncles coworkers daughter got lost on this trail and never came back. and now i feel like i know why. without knowing exactly where you’re going it looks like it’s pretty easy to get lost

[@abwald]

Great video! Thanks. If we just wanted to do a day hike, how far would you recommend going for the best overview of the rainforest/scenery highlights (we could go probably go up to 10 miles RT as it's quite flat (we are experienced hikers).

[@Hikingguy]

Five Mile Island camp is a great place to hike. You can get down and see the river too. About 10m RT

[@abwald]

@@Hikingguy Thanks! Now that I have read through your whole site I think we have to do the whole thing!

[@efrennava9743]

I love your website and youtube channel. I was hoping to get advice on what trails to train for in the southern california area for half dome in late Sept. Any help would be appreciated.

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you 👍 I have some guidelines in the article about training. I'd say if you can tackle this hike, you'll have the fitness for Half Dome > hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/best-la-hikes/hike-mt-san-jacinto-peak-on-the-deer-springs-trail/

[@furyofbongos]

Thanks!!

[@mantid138]

Awesome video, I will be doing this route in August. You suggest camping right next to the river, but isn't that a condensation nightmare?

[@mr_flyingsky]

Welcome to WA! Will you be updating hikes here?❤️

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you! Hopefully yes, more hikes up in the PNW now that travel is a little more realistic. I used to be up there for work all the time and really love the area.

[@kellytoledough]

My husband and I are planning on making Lewis Meadows our “home base” - Day 1: start-Lewis Meadows, Day 2: Lewis Meadows - Blue Glacier - back to Lewis Meadows, Day 3: hike out. Does this sound like a feasible timeline having hiked it?

[@Hikingguy]

Yes, very doable

[@jadams7766]

Hey there we're going to do this in a week or so. Is there any issue with getting into the park in the wee hours of the morning?

[@Hikingguy]

Nope, just drive right in

[@ckzf1842]

Very narrow trails though 😮

[@Mojorisin1293]

How much time does summitting Olympus add?

[@Hikingguy]

It's something you need mountaineering experience and gear to do - you can't hike up there on a Class 1 trail. So not sure.

[@velislavastaneva6825]

Wow how many days did this hike take you?

[@Hikingguy]

This time I did it in 3 days - check out the guide link in the description for itinerary recommendations.

[@LC444]

I am a kid with no trail runners. What shoes do you recommend for this hike?

[@Hikingguy]

trail runners or vented hiking shoes

[@our4feettravelers760]

god video looks like a nice hike

[@maxoblivion]

One of my favorite places on Earth. Truly. 🤡

[@rickhorejsi1121]

My great great grandfather Jonah Cole was a full blooded Hoh River Indian. Anthropologists documented that the people of the Hoh tribe had Structures in place in the area of 7 lake basin for the purposes of Elk hunting, this was recorded in 1942, I am going to go there some day and kill me a big bull Elk with a bow and arrow and keep our traditions alive, God Bless. Jonah was 1 of last of our people to hunt there.

[@Primamateria_1]

♥🪶 we salut you