Outcrop | Olympic

The South Coast Wilderness Trail is a stunning, rugged, and truly wild 17 mile one-way hike through Olympic National Park. One of the last undeveloped coastlines in the contiguous United States, Olympic’s protection status ensures native species like sea otters, bald eagles, bears, and migrating whales will continue to thrive in this pristine wilderness.

Switching between stretches of picturesque coast and dense rainforest, the trek (which is at sea level) entails 2,000 feet in elevation change, due to the use of ladders and ropes to maneuver up and down coastal embankments.

This was one such area on my backpacking trip where the trail climbed several hundred feet following a rope climb from the beach. The blue of this area of the Pacific is stunning, especially contrasted with the lush greenery of Olympic’s rainforest.