Hoh River Trail to Happy Four Shelter - Olympic National Park

13.3 miles of hiking • 750' elevation gain •

The Hoh River Trail is a premium forest hike in Olympic National Park and we didn't want to miss it on this trip! We decided to head out for the Happy Four Shelter, which we hadn't seen before. The actual hike to the shelter is more like 5.7 to 6 miles depending on where you park, but we ended up on other trails to add the additional mileage.

This is a beautiful, healthy and vibrant forest with enough old growth to feel overwhelmed with humbleness. The moss hangs like carpets from many trees. The shades of green are so vibrant that it overloads your eyes with its beauty, and the air was cool and scented with freshness. Your senses will be drinking in the pure perfection of this wilderness. There are occasional views of the nearby mountains and plenty of opportunities to watch the mighty Hoh River flow through this paradise!

There seem to be plenty of campsites but I'm sure they're used frequently during peak season, but not today! There weren't many hikers seen on the way out but we did see some larger day hiker groups on the way back. There was only one group of backpackers seen going out on our way back!

Before reaching the Happy Four Shelter we needed to cross a small stream that had no bridge, but plenty of logs for that. The shelter was reconstructed and looked in great shape, and was well worth seeing.

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