Glowering over Lake Crescent with big-time presence is Mount Storm King, a craggy basaltic signal peak whose relatively low elevation compared to the high Olympics southward belies the pretty gnarly effort required to summit it.
Olympic National Park Map
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Olympic National Park at a Glance
4 alertsThe maintained Mount Storm King Trail leads partway up and lands you some nice views; those aiming for the even more stunning sightlines from the Storm King tippy-top can follow a sketchy, unofficial continuation of the trail along a demanding and exposed scramble.
In this guide, we’ll introduce you to this low but lordly peak, and run you through the basics of the Mount Storm King Hike, and its tough extension leading to the jaw-dropping panoramic views atop the Storm King’s crown.
Many consider Mount Storm King the best hike in Olympic National Park.. but is it really?
Read on to find out!
Setting the Scene in the Mighty Olympics
If you’re familiar with the Olympics and looking to get straight to the Mount Storm King hike, then feel free to skip this scene-setting segment. But if you’re looking for a little hype, read on!
The Olympic Peninsula of northwestern Washington is one of America’s most remarkable corners; a naturally remote Pacific Northwest kingdom edging the Salish Sea and the outer ocean coast, rising through (on the windward side) some of the most sublime temperate rain forest on the planet to a core of high, toothy, ice-swaddled peaks.
No roads cross the heart of the peninsula. A good chunk of it, just shy of a million acres, comes protected via Olympic National Park. This is among the country’s most popular parks, stretching from Pacific headlands to glaciated summits.
Much of Olympic National Park is remote, roadless, and exceptionally rugged wilderness: a backpacker’s paradise, but one that’ll test your legs and lungs. Yet there are plenty of front country amazements here as well, and postcard-perfect Lake Crescent in the northern foothills of the Olympic Mountains could be Exhibit A.
Only a hop, skip, and a jump south from the saltwater coast of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, it lies cradled in forested ridges along a winding west-east axis, with Highway 101 hugging its southern shore.
It is here that you’ll find the ominous, lovely, and epic, Mount Storm King hike.
Mount Storm King Hike
Things to Know Before Hiking Mount Storm King
Use it. Lots of it. Especially this one which I never leave the house without because it plays nice with our dear friend, earth 🙂
Entrance Fees
Sunscreen
Insect Repellent
If you’re looking for a good insect repellent that plays nice with our good friend earth, we recommend this one or this one if you’re a DEET person.
Guide Book
The Best Guide Book for Olympic National Park is this one which we’ve marked up and highlighted quite a bit.
Map
The Best Map: I like this map best for Olympic National Park.
National Parks Checklist Map: This beautiful National Parks Checklist Map can be ordered to your house.
Framed National Parks Map: We’re a sucker for maps, this framed national parks map is the best.
Where to Stay in Olympic National Park
Visiting Olympic National Park? If you haven’t decided where to stay (yet) here’s our favorite hotel in Olympic National Park.
About the Mount Storm King Hike
Mount Storm King is one of the landmark peaks of what could be taken as the northern “front range” of the Olympic Mountains.
It rises steeply from footings in the Lake Crescent and Barnes Creek lowlands to 4,525 feet, forming the western promontory on a front-range divide that runs between Lake Crescent in the west and the Elwha River in the east. East of Mount Storm King, that divide mounts along Baldy Ridge to a highpoint of 4,680-foot Mount Baldy.
As we’ve said, Mount Storm King is a hulk of basalt: seafloor basalt of the Crescent Formation, to be specific about it, which forms a notable horseshoe border to the Olympic Peninsula on its northern, eastern, and southern margins.
Speaking of margins, the Lake Crescent area lies on the northwestern edge of Olympic National Park, and the summit of Mount Storm King marks a craggy border between the park and Olympic National Forest.
The northeastern flanks of Storm King, and most of the northern slope of that Storm King-Mount Baldy divide, lie on national forestland, with national parkland covering the south slope. All of the Storm King hike is inside Olympic National Park.
Mount Storm King: Lake Crescent’s Guardian Peak
A little history, lore, and geology can spice up your grueling trek up the Storm King Trail. As Rowland W. Tabor details in his classic Geology of Olympic National Park, Mount Storm King figures prominently in an intriguing Native legend about the formation of 650-foot-deep Lake Crescent.
The Quileute people told of a fierce battle they fought against the Klallam tribe in the valley now holding the lake: fighting that enraged Mount Storm King, who ended up lobbing an enormous boulder down from his summit that (a) killed all the warriors and (b) dammed the valley to form Lake Crescent.
A Lower Elwha/Klallam tribal member relayed a version of this same tale in a 2014 Seattle Times story, noting Mount Storm King’s hurled rock split a huge existing lake known as Tsulh-mut in two, forming larger Lake Crescent to the west and smaller Lake Sutherland to the east.
Indeed, geologic evidence suggests an ancient landslide slumped down from the walls of the glacier-sculpted valley to separate Lakes Crescent and Sutherland and back up the waters of Lake Crescent, which once drained east through Indian Creek, such that they over spilled and established a new, north-flowing outlet via the Lyre River.
There’s no more staggering view of Lake Crescent than that available from the summit of Mount Storm King, but you’ve got to work to earn it, that’s for sure!
- Distance: ~4 – 5.5 miles (depending on whether you include the scrambling path to summit)
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Elevation Gain: 2,065 feet
- Time Required: 3 – 5 hours
The Mount Storm King Trail kicks off from an appropriate starting point: Olympic National Park’s Storm King Ranger Station, set on Barnes Point at about the midway point of Lake Crescent’s south shore. You’ll use the trailhead signed for the Barnes Creek Trail and Marymere Falls.
The Barnes Creek Trail is blessedly flat, but you aren’t staying on it long: At about a half-mile, a sign points your way eastward, and up, to the “Storm King Trail.” Hope you like switchbacks!
It’s a fairly relentless climb as you work your way up the western spur of Mount Storm King, but you’ll begin nabbing glimpses of expanding views, and meanwhile the trailside ambience is pleasant. You’d started in the deep shade of a lush riverside forest, among western hemlocks, redcedars, bigleaf maples, and the like.
Now you’re working your way through drier, more open mixed-conifer slopeside woods that come sprinkled with some lovely evergreen broadleaf species: manzanita shrubs and the almost tropical-looking native tree known as the Pacific madrone (also called madroña or, especially in British Columbia, arbutus).
Madrones and manzanitas are common in sunnier, drier environments on the Olympic Peninsula, and add some nice botanical diversity to a realm utterly dominated by needleleaf evergreens (including some of the very biggest trees in the world).
Mount Storm King Ascent
Just shy of a mile beyond the turnoff for the Storm King Trail, you’ll come to your first really good vantage, up at about the 2,000-foot contour. Admire the top-down look at narrow Lake Crescent and, in the distance, the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
You’ll attain a second viewpoint a half-mile beyond (and several hundred feet above) that first one, and here, at about 2,400 feet up the mountain’s western shoulder, the officially maintained portion of the Mount Storm King Trail ends. A sign informs you of that endpoint, suggesting the treacherous, potentially hazardous terrain beyond.
This is a perfectly good turnaround point (roughly 1.7 miles from the trailhead) for many: The two main viewpoints you’ve reached are topnotch, and give you a decent taste of what the summit panorama affords. But if you’re fit and surefooted enough, and aren’t running out of daylight, you might consider venturing onward up the climber’s path.
The Climber’s Path Up Mount Storm King
The rougher, unmaintained, often highly exposed path to the Storm King summit proceeds along a sharp, up-and-down ridgecrest. There are steep scrambles, sketchy drop-offs, and loose gravel, so this isn’t a walk in the park.
You’ll find ropes to aid your going up several of the grades, beginning shortly after the end of the official trail. These ropes aren’t installed or maintained by the National Park Service, so don’t just willy-nilly trust them. Test their secureness, and stay aware and cautious if you decide to rely on them.
At this point, online reviews have made the roped sections of the Mount Storm King climber’s path borderline infamous, and more than a few hikers are a bit leery of trying for the summit based on the reputation. Here’s the thing: You absolutely should proceed with caution, know your limits, and trust your gut. But especially when conditions are dry, and that’s the best time to climb Storm King (see below), an experienced hiker moving carefully and dutifully testing the ropes will likely find the route very doable.
That said, if you’ve got a strong fear of heights, this isn’t the hike/scramble for you; content yourself with the maintained trail and turn around at its end.
Mount Storm King Summit Views (and Bird Buddies)
A much-photographed outcrop at the summit of Mount Storm King provides a heck of a perch for a heck of a view, with Lake Crescent in all its glory glinting far below. It’s really one of the quintessential vistas in all of Olympic National Park, maybe all of Washington State, too.
Depending on weather conditions, this is the Olympic Peninsula, after all, and clouds may well be swirling around you, the views also extend north beyond the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Vancouver Island, east to the white wall of the North Cascades, and southward into the Olympics, with the steep-sided, green-draped, pointy Happy Lake Ridge prominent on the other side of the Barnes Creek valley.
It’s not at all uncommon to have some feathered company up at the Mount Storm King summit. Fearless gray jacks, aka “whiskeyjacks,” commonly flit over to check on hikers (don’t give them handouts).
As with just about any hike in the high country of Olympic National Park, it’s imperative to check the weather forecast before tackling Mount Storm King. This is technically an all-season destination, but snow and ice make winter ascents risky, the province of experienced mountaineers.
The short day length is also a challenge: Getting too late a start on a winter hike could catch you up in tricky terrain with the sun going down, given that huffing it up Storm King often takes longer than people foresee, despite the low mileage.
Don’t go beyond the end of the maintained trail in rainy or otherwise soggy conditions, or (unless you know what you’re doing) if you’re running into much ice along the path. Seriously: People have died on Mount Storm King. It’s easy to slip and fall if you’re being reckless, or when the tread is wet.
And take heed of the mountain’s name: You don’t actually want to be up here during legit Olympic storms, which can be ferocious. The gale force winds that often accompany such storms (most common fall through spring) would make the climber’s path exceedingly dangerous.
It’s best to get an early start on the Mount Storm King Trail. This is a popular route, despite its difficulty. The trickier sections of the climber’s path, not least the rope traverses, can create a bit of a logjam if there are lots of hikers climbing and descending.
Generally you ought to yield to the descending climbers, as the hike down is overall sketchier than the hike up, and most will want to ease backwards down the roped sections.
Mount Storm King Trail Add-On: Marymere Falls
Unless you’re completely wiped by the time you get back down from the Mount Storm King hike, you really ought to consider tacking Marymere Falls on to your Mount Storm King ramble. Turning left at the trail junction, you’ll hike only a short way before hanging another left for the waterfall access trail, which crosses Barnes Creek and then heads up the ravine of its tributary Falls Creek.
Draining off Aurora Ridge to the south, Falls Creek tumbles over a tall mossy rock face at Marymere Falls, forming a gorgeous streaming ribbon that fans out some as it drops. The total height of the waterfall has been reckoned at anywhere from 90 to 119 feet; either way, it’s among the prettiest, and most popular, falls in Olympic National Park.
A loop here leads to two different waterfall vantages, a lower one and an upper one. While the waterfall is most impressive in winter and spring, fed by heavy wet-season rainfall and potentially snowmelt, it’s a lovely sight anytime of year, and well worth the minimal extra effort on the tail-end of a trek up the heights of nearby Mount Storm King.
It’ll be a 0.9-mile walk back to the Storm King Ranger Station trailhead from Marymere Falls, and blissfully easy, after your switchbacking, ridgetop-skirting climb up Storm King!
Olympic National Park Video
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Summary: Is Mount Storm King Olympic’s Best Hike?
No. It’s great but it’s not the best. We ranked the best hikes in Olympic National Park here for those interested.
Now don’t underestimate the challenge of getting up on Mount Storm King, but rest assured the experience is worth it. And the satisfaction, on any future visit to Lake Crescent, of looking up to that horned monster on the skyline and knowing you’ve been up there, well, that’s priceless!
Perhaps it’s time you pay your respects to the Storm King along the northern front of the Olympic Mountains…
Map of the Mount Storm King Hike
FAQ – Mount Storm King Hike
Depending on which way you go the Mount Storm King hike is between 4-5.5 miles long.
Depending on which route you take, I recommend setting aside at least 4 hours to hike Mount Storm King. It takes some folks 6+ hours.
Pin the Mount Storm King Hike
Tips for Visiting Olympic National Park
Permit Systems and Reservations
Check to see if the national park you’re visiting has a permit or reservation system in place before visiting. As parks become increasingly crowded more has to be done to safeguard them which means controlling the hundreds of millions of people who visit these places each year.
Popular national parks with reservation systems of some kind include Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Arches, Acadia, Denali, and more.
Want Less Crowds? Try a National Forest!
Try visiting a national forest while you’re on your trip to avoid the crowds. There are 155 national forests in America, many of which are equally as beautiful as the national parks they neighbor and only see a fraction of the visitors.
For example, try the Flathead National Forest next to Glacier National Park, the Bridger-Teton next to Grand Teton, and the Dixie which borders nearly all of the Utah National Parks.
Practice Safety, Seriously
National parks are amazing but wild places so it is essential to practice basic safety while visiting them. Every year people die while vacationing in national parks. This is easily avoided by:
- Sticking to trails
- Checking the weather before going out on a hike
- Maintaining a safe distance between wildlife which means at least 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from predators
- Avoid ledges with steep drop offs
Helpful Related Articles
Olympic NP Guide: Guide to Olympic National Park
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Mount Storm King Hike: Hiking Mount Storm King (Honest Guide)
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Best Hikes North Cascades: 15 Epic Hikes in North Cascades National Park
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Best Things to Do at Mount Rainier: 20 Epic Things to Do at Mount Rainier National Park
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Mount Rainier Facts: 15+ Amazing Mount Rainier Facts (Interesting Trivia + Quick Facts)
Washington National Parks: Washington’s National Parks Ranked Best in the World
National Parks Rankings: ALL 63 US National Parks Ranked By Experts
Most Visited National Parks: Top 10 Most Visited National Parks
Least Visited National Parks: Top 10 Least Visited National Parks
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