Hike Mt Storm King

Starting at the Storm King Ranger Station parking lot you will park here and locate the signs pointing towards Marymere Falls and Storm King. It should be well noted that it is very easy to branch off and do a short side trek to Marymere falls from the Storm King trail, and the Falls trail would be considered a beginner difficulty, while Mt Storm King itself would be moderate day hike and perhaps a step above in the winter time with the addition of rope climbing and need for more technical winter equipment. This 3.8 mile roundtrip hike reaches an elevation of 2,400 ft at the peak, with the overall gain of the whole hike being about 1,780 ft. 

The hike begins from the parking lot, and you will immediately pass the beautifully pristine Lake Crescent, which on a nice day, possesses a glistening blue color that is sure to impress! As you pass the lake you will be passing the famous Storm King Ranger Station, an iconic building within Olympic National Park that reminds you of some of the immense history of the park itself.

Following the same trail it will rope you through a small tunnel that takes you under the main road, and into the forest. Signs will take continue to guide you towards Marymere Falls as you trek through the densely green colored forest on the flat trail until you reach a gigantic boulder on the left hand side of the trail (it's hard to miss in all honesty, look for the biggest boulder you could imagine). At the boulder you will find the small wooden sign that points up the steep trail stating; "Mt Storm King", this is where the fun begins.

After 1.4 miles of straight uphill switchbacks on the well paved out trail, you will find a rock lookout at your first site of Lake Crescent from such high elevation, along with Pyramid Mountain in the distance gleaming like a snow capped beacon. You may stop here for a quick breather to take in the sights or carry on, there will be another lookout not too far ahead in the trail perhaps another 10 minutes of upward trekking and you will find it (not much of a view of Lake Crescent with this one though unfortunately). 

As you continue to trek upwards though the forest you will be looped around the backside of the mountain until you reach a fair amount of rock shale. In the off season this will be rope climbing zone number one, where you simply grab the attached rope on the tree and trudge through the deep snow maintaining your footing throughout, just be wary of the wet rock as you approach the rope. In the summer, it is typically much more forgiving and you will not need the rope. Continue  on about .1 miles until you find the second rope, this one is a little longer in distance but still completely safe. Again if you are climbing in the spring or summer you will not need the ropes and will be able to hike up much faster.

After the second ropes you simply turn the corner and begin the climbing up the rock to the peak. Once you have carefully scaled the rocks to the top you are greatly rewarded with sweeping views of the entire surrounding area including Lake Crescent and Pyramid Mountain (among other stunning mountains). I've been told sunset and sunrise here are second to none in the area, and I am willing to bet that this is true. Either way the view from the peak is well worth the short trek up and then some!

On a side note, bring some seeds or nuts if you would like as there are friendly birds that inhabit the area and will eat the food straight from your hand if you extend it. Makes for some quality photographs to say the least!