Barnes Creek Out and Back

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Commonly Backpacked · River/Creek · Wildlife

Past the hustle and bustle of the Lake Crescent area's Marymere Falls and Mount Storm King Trail, the path along Barnes Creek is a local favorite year round. The trail is perfect if you are looking for a forested journey in the Lake Crescent Region of the park. It isn't difficult, but it will give you a feeling of isolation and wilderness solitude in an otherwise busy area.

A fantastic trail to run, but watch for roots, downfall and the usual problems with trails on the Olympics.

Once the trail starts, it narrows considerably and works its way through a gorgeous young forest, highlighted by vine leaf maples and alder trees. All along the trail, the sounds of the babbling creek fill your ears, as the scent of the forests of Olympic National Park fill your nostrils. Your eyes might struggle to take in the myriad of greens of the forest, but that is a good thing.

After a little over a mile, the trail passes over Barnes Creek on a nice bridge. Be aware it may be a bit slick, so please watch your step and unbuckle your backpack. Once you cross the footbridge, the trail slowly climbs uphill, weaving through impressive stands of newer Douglas fir trees. Growing increasingly dense each year, this section of the trail is quite pretty, and a great spot for fall mushrooms.

The trail continues to work away from the creek for a bit, before joining it later and eventually meeting the Upper Barnes Creek Trail and Aurora Divide Trail. The Barnes Creek Trail isn't the most scenic trail in Olympic National Park, but since it is so close to Lake Crescent, it is hard to pass up this opportunity to get away from everyone and have a moment alone in the wilderness.