Queets River Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington
Queets River Trail
Olympic National Park
The Queets River Trail leads deep into the most remote and primitive rainforest in Olympic National Park. This truly wild valley is home to large and active elk, bear, and mountain lion populations.
| Related Trails: | Queets River Trail |
Olympic rainforests produce the greatest volume of organic matter on the planet
Olympic National Park is home to the largest unmanaged herd of Roosevelt elk in the Pacific NW
President Truman added the Queets to Olympic National Park in 1953 to preserve the entire valley from source to sea
Red Alder may grow 3' per year for their first 20 years, and live 100 years before succession takes place
Edible salmonberry and huckleberry fill the Queets rainforest by late June
Bears are frequently encountered, but with so much food, they show little interest in people
The rainforest creates its own green house effect, which helps regulate temperate throughout the year
Rain quickly floods the Queets River Trail - hikers must plan for all conditions
The Queets River Trail crosses several wide streams on the final run to Bob Creek
The Queets River Trail varies from open bottomlands to disorienting forests
Roosevelt elk are the largest elk species in North America, and are distinguished by their dark color
Five species of Pacific salmon, including steelhead, spawn in the Queets River
A rare stretch of well-defined trail in the Queets Rainforest
Long stretches of open, grassy bottomlands distinguish the Queets from other rainforests
The Queets River Trail is distinguished by larger than average big leaf maple, and the absence of cedar

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