“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” is your gateway to the first book that is dedicated exclusively to loop hiking in the Olympic Mountains. The book details 27 loops, 21 of which haven’t been published including one that may never have been hiked.
“Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” will be available to you in the fall of 2023. While we wait, LoopHikes.com will not only keep you informed regarding its publishing date, but it will also provide back- stories for numerous elements within the book.
Rejoice in the Meadows
Whichever loop hike you choose, the beauty of nature will offset the effort to reach the subalpine meadows scattered throughout the Olympic Mountains.
Most of the hikes in “Loop Hikes in the Olympic Mountains” include subalpine meadows. You pass nearby some of them, but many of them you’ll hike straight through. Not all of loop hikes that contain meadows are listed here. These are just a sample.
from short to longer loop hikes
Lake Angeles, Heather Park Loop
Sol Duc Resort Loop
Deer Park Loop
Happy Lake Ridge Loop
The High Divide Loop
North Fork Quinault, Three Lakes Loop
Grand Ridge, Cameron Creek Loop
Cameron Creek, Gray Wolf River Loop
Three Passes Loop
Quinault River, La Crosse Pass loop
Sundown Lake, O’Neil Pass Loop
Flowers abound as the winter snow retreats and the meadows are often dressed in the brilliant spectrum of massed colors. Meadows differ from each other. They are however, glorious in their own right.
Relax and feel the breeze carrying the scent of the meadow flowers along with the meadow’s faint voice. You are experiencing an undisturbed natural glory unlike any other place on earth. Stopping to visit the meadows is your reward for the effort that got you there. Don’t think for a minute that you are alone. Just as you love the meadows, so do the animals that spend the warm months of summer as their home. The arrival of warmth, the blossoming flowers and the longer days are nature’s blessing. Before it arrives, the human guests and animals bid goodbye, signaling the hush of winter’s approach.
Bears, elk, deer and marmots are the most common summer visitors as they graze the bounty before them. They are quite aware of your presence. While they generally avoid hikers at a safe distance you may have to be the one that moves farther away. If you sit down and be still you can usually get a lot of good pictures. Patience and quiet will reap photographic rewards.
Relax and feel the breeze carrying the scent of the meadow flowers along with the meadow’s faint voice. You are experiencing an undisturbed natural glory unlike any other place on earth. Stopping to visit the meadows is your reward for the effort that got you there. Don’t think for a minute that you are alone. Just as you love the meadows, so do the animals that spend the warm months of summer as their home. The arrival of warmth, the blossoming flowers and the longer days are nature’s blessing. Before it arrives, the human guests and animals bid goodbye, signaling the hush of winter’s approach.
Bears, elk, deer and marmots are the most common summer visitors as they graze the bounty before them. They are quite aware of your presence. While they generally avoid hikers at a safe distance you may have to be the one that moves farther away. If you sit down and be still you can usually get a lot of good pictures. Patience and quiet will reap photographic rewards.
All of the past articles beginning with March are accessible. Click here to visit the Archive page. Additionally, if you’re interested in what’s coming next, here they are:
July 1: “The Book is static, but the Wilderness is forever dynamic”
July 15: “How Difficult are the Loop Hikes?’
August 1: “The Advantages of Fall Hiking”
August 15: “The Last of Summer Hikes”
Visit LoopHikes.com frequently. Photos, information and stories change periodically, but sharing information with you comes first. Questions? Contact me at LoopHikes@olympus.net.Your curiosity is the foundation of building a better understanding. Tell your friends.
The book is coming in August 2023