LILLIAN RIVER TRAIL

Abandoned trail, no longer maintained
Length 3.1 mi/5.0 km
Access Elwha Trail
USGS Maps Hurricane Hill; Mount Angeles
Agency Olympic National Park

The trailhead (1580 ft/482 m) is located 4.1 mi/6.6 km up the Elwha Trail 
from Whiskey Bend. The route follows the Lillian River, ending just below 
the point where the stream emerges from a canyon.

The trail begins in old-growth Douglas fir forest, but the stunted trees 
are only 12 to 18 inches in diameter, their trunks bearded with lichen. An 
under story of little hemlocks grows beneath the firs, and the ground cover 
is largely salal. As the trail ascends a ridge on Lost Cabin Mountain, it 
climbs at a moderate grade. Here one can look back and see the Carrie Glacier 
on Mount Carrie in the Bailey Range. The trail then makes a long traverse, 
and the sound of the Lillian River rises from its canyon.

This is dry country, lying in the rain shadow of the Bailey Range. As a 
consequence, madrona, manzanita, cascara, western white pine, and kinnikinnick 
are abundant. Other plants include ocean spray, honeysuckle, pipsisscwa, and 
rattlesnake orchid. Elk or bears have damaged many of the madronas. Beneath 
the trees the undergrowth is sparse but includes a great deal of vanilla leaf.

Beyond a point (1.3 mi/2.1 km) where one can look up and down the valley, the 
trail makes a couple of false starts, and then begins a long descent to the 
Lillian. The trunks of the old firs are scarred by fire, and the brush is thicker 
here. The trees are also larger-up to 4 feet in diameter-perhaps indicating richer 
soil or a better supply of moisture.

The trail crosses a stream (2.0 mi/3.2 km), the first source of water on this 
route. A knoll just beyond provides a good spot for a rest break or perhaps a bit 
of lunch. The now large trees are mostly fir, but red cedar and hemlock are also 
present. Thick carpets of moss cover the ground. As the trail descends, one hears a 
stream roaring lustily, but it is a large creek, not the river. Here the forest is 
luxuriant; the logs and stumps are thickly padded with deep, soft cushions of moss.

After crossing a level area, the trail descends to another creek, then to a campsite 
on the north bank of the Lillian. The campsite is subject to washout and may be hard 
to locate. The trail ends in a tangle of down logs just beyond the camp 
(3.1 mi/5.0 km; ca. 2000 ft/610 m).