Mount Storm King & Marymere Falls - Olympic N.P.

Hiked: May 30, 2021

We arrived at the parking lot at around 11:30am and cars were parked everywhere…literally…including "spots" that don't exist—AKA it was VERY busy. We managed to snag a real spot as someone was leaving, thankfully.

The main trail to Marymere Falls was like a highway, both in width and due to the number of people hiking. We peeled off to the Mt. Storm King trail and were surprised to see that, even with the difficulty of the hike, it was still super populated. We played leap-frog with groups all the way up. People generally didn't wear masks even on the tightest trail sections. There was only one minor obstacle on the trail, a small blowdown which was easily crossable.

One VERY important note about staying on the trail: There are many places where hikers are severely cutting corners on switchbacks, which not only destroys wildlife but also erodes the delicate trail. The more this trail erodes, the quicker Mt. Storm King will become inaccessible to future hikers. The further up you go, the thinner the ridge gets, making it impossible to re-create the trail once it has been eroded. I worry that this trail has a limited life span if hikers continue to slide down these "shortcuts."

Once you pass the "End of Maintained Trail" sign at around 2-miles, you reach the infamous rope climb. The ropes are in okay condition, but there is one portion that has no rope that could really use one. The soil is dry and loose, and it's easy to slip. I recommend going up and down the ropes with your back facing downhill; it is much safer than sliding down on your butt. This also prevents erosion and sending rocks into the people below. Be courteous and aware of hikers coming up or down around you, and wait for people in front of you to finish with a rope before you start. We had many traffic jams and some were in quite sketchy locations.

We had a lovely lunch at the very top, with a gorgeous view of Lake Crescent, Pyramid Peak, and Vancouver Island. We even made a new friend that we hiked down and to the falls with!

The key to this hike is patience. Stay on the designated trail, and be courteous of other hikers, especially on the busy days!