Dosewallips; Steam Donkey / Maple Valley Trails

April 3, 2016


Dosewallips State Park is beautifully situated on the east side of the Olympics, where the Dosewallips River meets Hood Canal. There is a sizeable campground here, where you are likely to encounter elk during the quiet morning/evening hours during the off-peak season. As in many areas of the Olympics, a logging operation was run here in the early 20th century. The campground is situated in the old homestead sites. Also located here is a 5-mile network of trails that offer visitors the peaceful serenity of the forest. It was these trails that Evie and I decided to hike on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon.

We parked our cars and started our journey along the river. The trail here is called "Maple Valley" and it climbs 400' up the hill from the river into the forest. Benches are placed along the way for reflecting and enjoying the tranquility. The maples for which the trail was named were only beginning to bud, but all around us stately cedar, fir and hemlock stood in quiet repose. Along the way we would encounter evidence of the days when this area was logged; stumps of the grand old growth trees that once stood now played nursemaid to new trees, the roots of the younger trees looking like alien tentacles as they wrap around the nourishing stump towards the ground.

We intersected with the "Steam Donkey Loop" so took that trail. This section of trail was named for the steam locomotives that would haul the trees down the hillside to the water, where they were formed into rafts then taken by tugboat to the sawmill in Seabeck, or loaded on ships. If you take your time and look, you will see remnants of the old rail bed. A wise parent would brush up on the local history and share stories with their children as they investigate the findings. For instance, the rails back then were hand forged and hauled up the hill by mules - really cool stuff.

The trails here, as they loop and intersect one another, offer one amazing sight after another. There are footbridges, a beautiful creek, a few small waterfalls, a pretty little pond, and a tree that actually survived a lightning strike. And all within a five-mile stretch of trail with 400' of elevation gain. Kids can try to count how many different birdsongs they hear, try to identify the different types of ferns that line the trail, dip their toes into Phantom Creek and throw rocks in the river. For us adult-types, there is the blessed state of calm found only in the forest.

 

I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Of course, on my way home I stopped at Hoodsport Coffee Company for a scoop of my favorite Lemon Lavender Ice Cream...

Hike 13 of 52.

Distance hiked: 5 miles
Elevation gain: 400'
Max Elevation achieved: 425'