Lower South Fork Skokomish River
Olympic Peninsula
As of May 11, 2026, the Lower South Fork Skokomish River trail is largely in excellent condition, with abundant wildflowers reported up to May 9. The paved road to the trailhead is open and clear, despite Google Maps inaccuracies. Parking has been plentiful as of early May.
Hikers should be aware of a steep initial section with significant up and down elevation changes throughout. While stream crossings are generally easy (as of early May), reports conflict on the depth of one crossing around the 3.2-mile mark; one report from March 21 found it too deep, while later reports indicate easier crossings. A significant washout requiring a log shimmy or wading was noted around 3 miles on March 21, but no later reports mention this. A large downed tree was reported at mile 7.5 as of March 28, but a report from April 23 states crews cleared fallen trees, including one affecting a bridge railing. Bathrooms at the trailhead are closed.
generated from 30 reports
Sources
A fabulous trail!I went as far as the river overlook, which was about 6 miles in. The whole trail is about 21 miles round trip.https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/olympic/recreation/trails/skokomish-lower-sou...
It was a beautiful day on the trail! We arrived at the parking lot at 9:00 and were surprised at the number of cars already there. There was still plenty of parking though. The trail is in great shape...
What a beautiful day to scout a hike on the Lower South Fork Skokomish! Benny the dog and I met with a fellow Mountaineer leader to check out the trail and confirm the stats (spoiler alert: incorrect)...
Road: As the previous trip report said, Google maps will tell you forest service road 2353 is closed. It's not. Follow the WTA directions. No problems with the roads, paved the whole way.Sorry folks, ...
Clear trail, thanks to crew who did a lot of work to remove fallen trees. 2nd bridge with railing had a break due to a fallen tree but cleared. A few easy stream crossings . Trilliums, bleeding hearts...
I hiked 5 miles up this trail today (10.25 miles total roundtrip; 1535 feet elevation gain overall). It’s a really nice hike and I’m not sure why I haven’t done this one before as I’ve done most of th...
Beautiful old-growth forest trail that meanders high above the Skokomish and gets right next to the river a few times. We did a two-night backpacking trip, with the goal of reaching Church Shelter fro...
I’m so glad I checked out this trail! It’s an easy drive (no closure, despite what Google Maps says) and paved the whole way.Besides the steep beginning portion noted in the WTA description, the trail...
Another great jaunt in the Lower South Fork Skokomish for the books. Today we were breaking in some new boots and there was a good variety of tread available (gravel, mud, water, rocks, boardwalks, cr...
Despite what Google Maps says, the road is open to the trailhead, free from hazards (or any sign of closure) and suitable for all cars.It had rained a lot in the days previous to our hike on 3/21, and...
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