Mt. Storm King, Olympic NP

"I would definitely recommend this trip to a friend."

After visiting Marymere Falls, it was still early and not raining yet, so we headed up the fabled Storm King Trail. The mileage of 1.7 belies the difficulty of this trail, especially if you intend to go all the way to the top. The views are terrific, though.

The trail starts out steep, eventually eases up a little, and ends on a ledge overlooking the Barnes Creek valley below. Just before the end of the maintained trail, there's a small landing overlooking Lake Crescent, with views out to the Straits of Juan de Fuca and into the mountains of Vancouver Island. This is a good place to stop.

I continued past the trail's-end sign warning of dangerous rocks ahead. A pair of old hemp ropes offer questionable help clamoring up the precarious scree slopes to the top of Storm King. This short section of the route (I won't call it a trail) is very exposed and a fall would be fatal. From the very tip-top of Storm King, the views aren't much different from those seen at the overlook below.

Storm King Trail begins at the Storm King Ranger Station at Lake Crescent, and shares a trailhead with the Marymere Falls trail.

Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions.