AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Trees, Skohomish River Trail, Olympic National Park, Hoodsport, WA - 53802493775.jpg
w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0

Smith Lake–North Fork Skokomish River, 6 sights

15.7 mi · ▲ 5,464 ft · 7 hr 58 min

Smith Lake–North Fork Skokomish River, 6 sights is a 15.7-mile out-and-back near Hoodsport, WA. The route passes North Fork Skokomish River and Pond of Profanity before reaching Smith Lake at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 5,464 ft, with sections as steep as 53% grade. It scores 95/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi774 – 4,639 ft · steepest grade: 53%15.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Staircase Hydro Nature Trail 47.51565, -123.33266
Nearest town Hoodsport, WA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Smith Lake–North Fork Skokomish River, 6 sights

15.7 mi · ▲ 5,464 ft · 7 hr 58 min

Elevation 775–4,640 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Staircase Hydro Nature Trail · 47.51565, -123.33266

Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:37 AM · sunset 7:50 PM

Toilets at the trailhead

  1. Start on Staircase Hydro Nature Trail, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftPass North Fork Skokomish River.
  3. 450 ftTurn left onto Staircase Rapids Nature Trail, heading NW.
  4. 0.9 miTurn left onto North Fork Skokomish River Trail, heading NW.
  5. 2.4 miPass Pond of Profanity.
  6. 1.8 miSharp right onto Black and White Lakes Primitive Trail, heading S.
  7. 1.9 miBear right onto Smith Lake Primitive Trail, heading E.
  8. 0.9 miReach Smith Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 0.9 miBear left onto Black and White Lakes Primitive Trail, heading W.
  10. 1.9 miSharp left onto North Fork Skokomish River Trail, heading N.
  11. 4.2 miTurn right onto Staircase Rapids Nature Trail, heading SE.
  12. 0.9 miTurn right onto Staircase Hydro Nature Trail, heading SE.
  13. 100 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/black-white-lakes-smith-lake-out-back-4-lakes-25-km-4150

Weather

Sunrise 6:37 AMSunset 7:50 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.3 mi in (~307 min). Leave by 2:23 PM for the 7:50 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:15 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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