MOUNT ELLINOR TRAIL

Length 2.8 mi/4.5 km 
Access FS Road 2419 
USGS Map Mount Skokomish 
Agency Olympic National Forest

The ascent of Mount Ellinor is much shorter now than it was 
in 1898, when Henry Gannett, geographer of the U.S. 
Geological Survey, accompanied Arthur Dodwell and Theodore 
F. Rixon to the summit. The men wanted to get a look at the 
new Olympic Forest Reserve—3483 square miles of untouched 
wilderness that Dodwell and Rixon had been employed to 
survey. At that time one had to climb without benefit of 
roads or trails. Eventually, however, the trail was estab-
lished, but as late as the 1950s people began the climb at 
a low elevation near Lake Cushman. Today, however, the Big 
Creek FS Road (2419) goes halfway to the summit, making the 
ascent considerably less strenuous—and much less 
interesting. One should carry water because the trail 
follows a dry ridge.

The path has two trailheads. The lower one (ca. 2800 ft/853 
m) begins on FS Road 2419, the Big Creek Road, 4.6 mi/7.4 
km beyond its intersection with FS Road 24; the upper 
trailhead (ca. 3600 ft/1097 m) can be reached by driving 
another 1.6 mi/2.6 km on the Big Creek Road, then going 1.0 
mi/1.6 km on FS Road 2419-014. Many hikers interested 
solely in reaching the summit approach via die upper 
trailhead because it shortens the route 1.5 mi/2.4 km, but 
in doing so they miss the delightful walk along the 
forested ridge.

Upon leaving the lower trailhead, the trail climbs the 
narrow ridge through mature stands of western hemlock and 
Douglas fir. The undergrowth is sparse, and saprophytes are 
frequently observed. The trail ascends at a moderate grade 
to a Junction (1.7 mi/2.7 km; 3900 ft/1189 m) with the path 
that comes from the upper trailhead, only 0.2-mi/0.3 km 
distant.

The trail steepens and gets rougher as it climbs to Chute 
Flats (2.4 mi/3.9 km; 4500 ft/1372 m). Although water is 
not available here, a crude campsite is located among the 
trees. The flats are noted for beargrass, Indian 
paintbrush, lupine, columbine, false hellebore, arnica, 
heather, and phlox.

Because Mount Ellinor is a comparatively easy ascent, 
hundreds of people scramble to the top every year. The 
climb has been made still easier in recent years by the 
Olympians of Grays Harbor. Assisted by other volunteer 
trail builders, they extended the trail from Chute Flats to 
the summit. Beyond the flats the path goes through 
subalpine country, paralleling the climbers' chute route as 
it does so. Hikers ascend this path, which follows the west 
ridge of the mountain to the rocky summit, but many 
climbers stick to tradition and go up The Chute, which is 
easy to ascend in the spring and early summer when it is 
filled with snow. At this time one can, during the descent, 
glissade from the top of The Chute to the bottom, rapidly 
losing more than a thousand feet of elevation. Later, after 
the snow has melted, going up and down The Chute is time-
consuming and requires caution because loose stones clatter 
down from above. Climbers can avoid this hazard by using 
the path built by the Olympians.

The views from the summit (2.8 mi/4.5 km; 5944 ft/1812 m) 
are splendid, particularly early in the season when the 
Olympics are snow-covered, although clouds often obscure 
the surrounding scene. Many peaks are visible in the 
distance; close at hand are Mount Washington and Mount 
Pershing. Away from the Olympics the vista includes Hood 
Canal, Puget Sound, and the Cascade Range.