It's a great choice for families, and alternative to the Queets River Trail when the river ford is not possible. This network of roads are also active logging routes. Sitka … Composing images in a rainforest was one of the more challenging photo experiences. The Queets Trail runs for 16.2 miles through the Queets Rain Forest to Pelton Shelter, on the southwest side of Olympic National Park. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. Ecosystem type: Rain forest river valley Trail tread types: low level of maintenance General elevation trend: level River crossings: The Queets River must be forded at the trailhead. 200mm 1/100s … Queets Rainforest. The rainforest surrounds the Queets River. Visitors will enjoy active wildlife, level grades and light crowds in the Park's most remote and primitive rainforest. Queets Rainforest River Trail. A gentle rain had just ended, and sun was trying to break through the dense foliage. Start at the signed trail for the Sams Loop Trail and take a left at the first junction. Starting in lowland rainforest, the trail works its way through exemplary stands of montane and then subalpine forests before finally breaking out into meadows dotted with tiny lakes. A few white settlers once homesteaded the valley. Queets River Trail is a 30.3 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Amanda Park, Washington that features a river and is rated as moderate. Learn more about access to Queets. T. Kirkendall and V. Spring . Unique features: Old-growth rain forest Level of difficulty: Moderate Distance: 15.8 miles to end of trail Elevation change: 360 to 800 ft. Best Season: July through September Evidence of their tenure still remains. Take road 21 off of Highway 101. Ferns in the Queets Rain Forest. ....Some say this is the best rain forest trail. Length 30.3 mi Elevation gain 1,151 ft Route type Out & back. Discover how, when and where to take the best photos of Queets River Trail with PhotoHound. It is located near the town of Queets. The Three Lakes Trail is a tour of some of Olympic's finest old growth forests, and is the traditional start of the much longer Queets-Quinault Skyline route. Do not bring a trailer or RV on this route. For a shorter hike, take Sam’s River Loop, a flat 2.8-mile loop. 65mm 10s f/22 ISO 125. Although the trailhead is only a four-hour drive from Seattle, the trail sees very little use because of the initial wide, deep ford of the Queets River. The Sam's River Loop explores a rich bottomland ecosystem in the Queets Rainforest. But it starts out tough: hikers have to ford the Queets River at the beginning of the trail, which discourages many hikers. T. Kirkendall and V. Spring . 1 History 2 Flora 3 Fauna 4 Recreation Native American's lived in the area. The Queets Rainforest is located within Olympic National Park on the Olympic Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington. Because of its relative inaccessibility, the Queets receives a fraction of the tourists that travel to the Hoh, helping it to retain a wilderness appeal. The trail drops down to the gravel bars at the confluence of the Sams and Queets Rivers. A SHORTER VERSION....The Sams River Loop Trail is three miles in length and can be started at the Queets Ranger Station or the trailhead one mile east of the station. Elk in the Queets Rain Forest. Mammoth trees and a fantastic river with very few visitors make this rain forest a true delight. For a more rigorous hike, go for as a long as you want on the 16.2-mile Queets River Trail. Trail Map | Photo Gallery Purchase Print / Licensing Fee << >> A lush view during a hike through one of the 3 rain forests on the Olympic Peninsula.