Hoh Rainforest and the Blue Glacier
Highlights:
This hike is an Olympic National Park favorite! Explore a beautiful old-growth temperate rainforest, view pristine high alpine lakes and meadows, and climb to the breathtaking overlook of the Blue Glacier. On this hike you will have the opportunity to hike through different ecosystems within the park and see the variety of plants and wildlife that inhabit them. You may see deer, elk, and bears. Your hiking efforts will be awarded with spectacular views of Mt. Olympus and the Blue Glacier.
Check Out the Blue Glacier Experience!
Itinerary
For a detailed map with elevation profile of the tentative itinerary, click here: Map.
Day 1: Meet your guide at 4 pm at the Hoh Campground. Get acquainted with everyone in your group as you go over what to pack and what to leave behind. Settle in for the night under the forest canopy and get a great night of sleep listening to the creek as you dream about the adventure ahead. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 0 mi/0’
Day 2: On our first full day of adventure we will hike 9 gradual miles to the Olympus Guard Station gaining 950 easy feet of elevation the whole day, having plenty of opportunities to take pictures of the Hoh’s ancient, fairy-tale forest, one of the most pristine temperate rainforest in the United States. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 9 mi / +950′, -0’′
Day 3: Today we hike from the Olympus Guard Station to Elk Lake Campground. From here we have a decision to make: hike to the glacier (another 6 miles roundtrip with 2,800 feet of elevation gain) in the afternoon, or opt to hike the glacier on the morning of Day 4 before moving camp. We will savor the views upon arrival at the Blue Glacier with Mount Olympus towering overhead. The pictures taken here will be aplenty while we eat and replenish the calories we lost on the final uphill stretch of our adventure. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 11 mi / +5000′, -2800’′
Day 4: On the second-to-last day of our journey, we hike downhill back to the Olympic Guard Station where we’ll relax for the night, stretching our tired muscles and resting our heads, dreaming about the spectacular sights that we’ve seen. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 5 mi / +0′, -2200’′
Day 5: We breeze through the easy, flat, 9-mile hike out to the trailhead for the last leg of our journey, grabbing those final photos of the majestic forest that has enchanted our adventure. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 9 mi / +0′, -950’′
Animals to look out for along the way: Black bear, banana slugs, deer, elk!
In the trip cost we include backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, pads, trekking poles, and eating utensils at NO EXTRA COST as needed. Lastly, all profits from our guided trips go towards our non-profit youth summer camp program.
Note: All trips are subject to Lasting Adventures obtaining the necessary wilderness permits. Although our success rate is 98%, should we not obtain the exact trail-head, a trip of equal quality will be obtained. Should weather, fire, and/or delayed seasonal openings affect the chosen itinerary, a different itinerary will be offered. Lasting Adventures is recognized for its commitment to safety and risk management. In this regard, itineraries may be changed to mitigate risks.
*All trips are pending permit availability which we gain in mid-February. Please refrain from making travel arrangements until we have confirmed dates.
Testimonials
Cancellation Policy/Traditional Backpacking
Multi-Day Adventures/Summer Camps Cancellation Policy
The following cancellation policy is only for trips booked directly through our official website, lastingadventures.com. If you have booked via a third-party website, such as The Clymb, TripAdvisor Experiences/Viator, or bookyogaretreats.com, the below policy does not apply, and you are held to the third-party’s cancellation policy.
If you cancel or leave a multi-day trip for any reason:
- More than 90 days prior to the trip start date, we will grant you a full refund. (*Exception: our Lodging/Hiking package has a $100 non-refundable processing fee per room booked.)
- Between 90 and 61 days prior to the trip start date, we will you a full refund minus a $50/person processing fee.
- Between 60 and 46 days prior to the trip start date, we will retain 25 percent of the trip cost. You may also take a non-refundable credit of the full value paid.
- Between 45 and 31 days prior to the trip start date, we will retain 50 percent of the trip cost. You may also take a non-refundable credit of the full value paid.
- Less than 31 days prior to the trip start date, or once the trip has begun, there will be no refund or credit.
- There will be no cost for cancellations for trips we are unable to run due to closures and/or restrictions by government officials. We will make departure determinations for trips 7 days in advance of the departure date. Refunds for trips not able to be run will be processed within 5 days of the intended departure date and can only be processed back to the original payment method used for the current trip.
- Exception: We may make this determination 15 days in advance for Lodging Packages.
- Any portion of a trip purchased with a credit from a previous year will revert back to a credit.
- Due to the difficulties of running seasonal programs, a lost season can affect us greatly. We appreciate any of our customers that would choose to take a lifetime, transferable credit for the value paid of their trip, should the trip not be able to operate due to government restrictions.
- Final payments on multi-day trips are automatically processed/due at 30 days in advance of the trip. Any new multi-day booking made at/within 45-days in advance will be required to pay in full.
- Exception: Final payments are due at least 45 days in advance for our Lodging/Hiking package.
- For our Summer Camps, due to COVID-19 in 2021 participants must have a responsible party available within 6 hours of Yosemite Valley for pickup in case of emergency.
- If we determine that a trip should be pulled or cancelled mid-way through the trip (for example, due to unhealthy smoke levels or other circumstances outside our control, we will provide a credit for the unused portion of the trip.
Traditional Backpacking
Lasting Adventures runs traditional backpacking trips. Traditional backpacking is done without the use of porters, stock, or other assistance. You will be expected to carry all of your own personal gear and a share of the group gear and food in a backpack for the duration of this trip. This weight will typically be between 30-50 pounds and in no case more than ⅓ of your body weight.
As needed, it is recommended that participants discuss their ability to conduct a backpacking trip with their doctor, including (but not limited to) the ability to carry heavy loads over long distances and over strenuous and uneven terrain. Levels of difficulty listed on our web site are relative and in no way an objective declaration of difficulty, and a regular physical exercise program is recommended prior to going on your adventure. A subjective guide to difficulty levels can be found here: Difficulty Levels.
Dietary Constraints
Although we are able to accommodate many specific dietary constraints and choices, we prepare foods in a facility with peanuts, gluten, soy, and other major allergens, and are not certified as an ‘allergen-free’ facility. We take steps to limit the risk of cross-contamination, but we cannot guarantee that foods we prepare will be fully free of major allergens.
*All trips are pending permit availability which we gain 26 weeks in advance. Please refrain from making travel arrangements until we have confirmed dates.
