Hike Date: 09-14-2013
Distance (Roundtrip): 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 2400 ft
Highest Point: 3089 ft
Pyramid Peak Hiking Guide
One of the items on my bucket list involves backpacking in the Olympic National Forest on the Washington peninsula. This past weekend, I didn't quite get to camp out, but I was able to take a day hike in the region for the first time ever! Some close friends and I stayed out in a cabin near Port Angeles over the weekend to get away from the city. Saturday seemed like the last sunny day in Washington before the fall weather, so we took the afternoon to explore Pyramid Peak, right next to Lake Crescent.
The trailhead is right off Camp David Jr. Road on the north shore of Lake Crescent. It starts off paved, but turns into a well-maintained gravel road. There is no parking lot, but a turnout provides some space along side the road. We arrived around 1pm and only found one other car parked at the trailhead. The sun was shining up above, but it was covered by the thick forest canopy.
There is a warning sign posted on a tree at the beginning of the trail. Awhile back, a landslide took out the trail and much of the surrounding vegetation. I read many reviews and guides on the trail, but I was shocked to find just how dangerous this portion of the trail is. We kept the warning in mind and continued on into the forest nonetheless.
The first couple of miles are a nice and easy climb east. As the elevation rises, the taller the trees seem to get. The sun was hidden for most of the beginning of the trail. There is a canopy of cedar, alder, and fir providing a good amount of shade. A little over a mile in, we crossed over June Creek. During this time of year, there is very little water trickling down the mountain. Beyond the creek, the trail steadily gains altitude, but there are still no switchbacks. The real climb is right before the summit.
At about mile 1.5, we reached the landslide. Turn around here if you are afraid of heights, an inexperienced hiker, or prone to vertigo! The trail completely disappears and becomes a scramble to the other side of the landslide. There is absolutely no vegetation to grab onto or catch you if you fall. Since weather conditions were outstanding, we had no problem side-stepping the 12" wide path, but I'll warn again: there is literally no room for error at this point. One misstep would likely be fatal.
Beyond the landslide, the trail begins to switch back steeply to the summit. It's still nicely shaded, but the climb is noticeably harder. At one point, it felt like we had reached the top, but to our disappointment, the trail continues to climb further east along the top of the ridge. Eventually, we reached the "fake" summit. This was an open area near peak with gorgeous views of Lake Crescent below. We were so beat from the climb, we almost turned around here. Good thing we didn't! The summit was only a few steps away.
We finally caught site of the old WW2 cabin at the summit of Pyramid Peak. The cabin is in good condition, covered in tags and signatures from hikers who visited before us. This old wooden structure was used to spot enemy aircraft attempting to reach Puget Sound. From here, there are views of Lake Crescent, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Vancouver Island. I wasn't able to spot Mt. Baker, but many guides say it can be seen in the distance as well.
The whole hike took us roughly 4.5 hours. Some would consider this the first hike of fall, but I honestly feel like it was last hike of summer. And a great one at that! I would recommend this hike for everyone, but due to the dangerous scramble across the landslide, I only recommend this to experienced hikers. For anyone near Port Angeles, this is a must-hike!
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