DOSEWALLIPS

The Dosewallips watershed, centrally located in the eastern 
Olympics, is long and narrow except in its upper part. The 
latter, lying within the national park, broadens to form a 
triangular-shaped area. This triangle results from a 
dendritic or treelike stream pattern—the North Fork and the 
West Fork of the Dosewallips River, together with Silt 
Creek, combine to form the trunk, which then flows eastward 
to Hood Canal. Of the three branches, only Silt Creek— 
which probably should be considered the main stream—is 
glacial in origin, having its source in the Eel Glacier on 
Mount Anderson. This is the largest glacier in the eastern 
Olympics.

Numerous tributaries contribute to the river's volume. 
After heavy rains the Dosewallips is prone to serious 
flooding and at times has destroyed bridges and portions of 
the road or trail along its banks. During the summer, after 
the snowpack is gone and the temperature is high enough for 
the ice to melt, the river becomes cloudy with glacial 
flour transported by Silt Creek. The Dosewallips is then 
particularly dangerous and can be difficult to wade across 
because one cannot see the bottom and thus avoid stepping 
into deep holes. In early fall, before the rains commence, 
when the temperature is cold enough to retard melting, the 
river is crystal clear and often low enough to be easily 
waded.

Lofty peaks and ridges, including some of the highest in 
the Olympics, enclose the valley.  Mount Anderson, the 
hydrographic apex of the Olympic Peninsula, stands between 
the upper reaches of the West Fork and Silt Creek. A high 
ridge extends northward from the mountain to Hayden Pass, 
beyond Silt Creek, where the headwaters of the North Fork 
are encircled by the Five Peaks—Claywood, Fromme, Lost, 
Sentinel, and Wellesley. A large expanse of subalpine 
country is located here, including the splendid Thousand 
Acre Meadows.

Cameron Ridge divides the Dosewallips from Cameron Creek 
and the Graywolf River on the north. The mountainsides drop 
steeply from the ridge to the Dosewallips. The eastern end 
of the ridge is connected to the loop of high peaks that 
surrounds the upper Dungeness River. The most prominent 
summits in this chain are Constance, Deception, Mystery, 
and Little Mystery. The nigh country lying between Mount 
Mystery and Mount Constance is commonly called Del Monte 
Ridge.

Below the national park boundary, the valley is bounded on 
the north by the high ridge between the Dosewallips and 
Quilcene watersheds. On the south the valley is bordered 
throughout its length by a ridge of lesser elevation, 
beyond which lies the Duckabush. Several rugged peaks—
Elklick, LaCrosse, White Mountain, and Jupiter, cap this 
ridge.

ROADS

The Olympic Highway, US 101, which follows Hood Canal in 
this area, provides approaches to the Dosewallips River 
Road from the north and south.

Dosewallips River Road (FS Road 2610). The road leaves US 
101 north of Brinnon and follows the river, first through 
private and state land, then the national forest and, 
finally, the national park. Supplies can be obtained at the 
Brinnon General Store.

High ridges on both sides border the valley, and as the 
road follows the river it passes by stump ranches on the 
bottomland. At Rocky Brook a footpath formerly led to 
nearby Rocky Brook Falls, but since development of a 
hydropower plant here the picturesque falls have been 
closed to the public.

The country becomes more rugged after the road enters the 
Olympic National Forest (5.5 mi/8.9 km). Leaving the 
cutover lands and second growth behind, the road winds 
through virgin forest as it traverses primitive country 
still in its natural state. The asphalt ends at 7.0 mi/11.3 
km, and the road is graveled the rest of the way. Elkhorn 
Campground (10.6 mi/ 17.1 km; 700 ft/213 m) is located in a 
stand of tall Douglas fir on the banks of the Dosewallips. 
The road now becomes steep and narrow, climbs high above 
the river and goes by what was known years ago as the Lower 
Jumpoff, and then enters Olympic National Park (12.9 
mi/20.8 km).

Within the park the road crosses Constance Creek, then 
skirts the base of a cliff of pillow basalt. The road now 
climbs sharply as it edges by Dosewallips Falls— a series 
of cataracts where the river, confined to a narrow channel, 
cascades over big boulders. At the head of the falls (the 
Upper Jumpoff of the old days), a place has been provided 
to load and unload horses.

The road descends through the forest to Dosewallips 
Campground in Muscott Flat (14.7 mi/23.7 km; 1600 ft/488 
m), where campsites and picnic tables are located among 
large cedars. The road ends just beyond the campground at 
the Dosewallips Ranger Station (14.9 mi/24.0 km).