QUILCENE The Quilcene watershed, located in the midst of the district once called the Jupiter Hills, encompasses the areas drained by the Big Quilcene River and the Little Quilcene River in the northeastern Olympics. The streams, separated by the Quilcene Range, flow into the head of Quilcene Bay less than a mile from each other. The Quilcene country is separated from the Dosewallips on the south by a long, narrow ridge extending from Mount Turner to Mount Constance; from the Dungeness on the west by the Constance Range; and from the district to the north and east by low divides. Most of the land lying in the Quilcene watershed is rugged. The Big Quilcene heads at about 6000-ft/1829 m near Marmot Pass, the Little Quilcene at the same level on the north slope of Mount Townsend, but each stream is less than 20 miles in length. The Big Quilcene has two major tributaries—Townsend Creek and Tunnel Creek. This area lies in the heart of the rain shadow, the driest district in the Olympic Mountains. Yet it is not truly arid; in fact, in the river bottoms the forests are luxu- riant. With the concurrence of the Forest Service, the timber industry has severely exploited this district. Logging roads penetrate almost everywhere; clearcuts are legion. The only remaining areas that can be considered truly primitive are the upper valleys of the Big Quilcene and Tunnel Creek. ROADS Access to the trails in this area is provided by the Olympic Highway, US 101, which skirts the region on the east, and by several logging roads in the national forest. Bon Jon Pass Road (FS Road 28). This road begins at Lords Lake, near the national forest boundary, and is reached by driving 2.0-mi/3.2 km north of Quilcene on US 101, and then turning left onto County Road 30 (Lords Lake Road) and following it 3.4-mi/5.5 km to a junction, near Lords Lake, where FS Road 28 begins. The latter follows the Little Quilcene River in a northwesterly direction, climbing to Bon Jon Pass (5.3 mi/8.5 km), where it intersects FS Road 2810, then traverses across the foothills to the Palo Alto Road on the Dungeness (15.7 mi/25.3 km). FS Roads 27, 2740, 2750, and 2760: These roads are all reached by driving 1.4 mi/2.3 km west of Quilcene on US 101, then turning right onto Penny Creek Road just north of the Big Quilcene River. At 1.4 mi/2.3 km the Big Quilcene River Road branches to the left and continues for 3.0 mi/4.8 km until it divides (4.4 mi/ 7.1 km from US 101). At this point the left branch becomes FS Road 2740; the right branch, FS Road 27. FS Road27. This road begins at the junction with FS Road 2740 and the Big Quilcene River Road. FS Road 2750 branches left at 6.1 mi/9.8 km; FS Road 2760 at 9.1 mi/14.7 km. After crossing Skaar Pass (11.1 mi/17.9 km), FS Road 27 continues to FS Road 28 (16.0 mi/25.8 km). FS Road 2740: The road begins at the intersection with FS Road 27 and the Big Quilcene River Road and descends through virgin timber into Big Quilcene Canyon. After crossing the Big Quilcene River above the confluence of Tunnel Creek, the road follows the latter stream and provides access to the Tunnel Creek Trail (6.6 mi/10.6 km). FS Road 2750: This road branches left from FS Road 27, 6.1 mi/9.8 km beyond the intersection of FS Road 27, FS Road 2740, and the Big Quilcene River Road. The road goes up the Big Quilcene Valley to Wet Weather Creek and Ten Mile Shelter (4.6 mi/7.4 km). The Upper Big Quilcene Trail begins on the uphill side just beyond the shelter; the upper trailhead of the Lower Big Quilcene Trail can be found near Wet Weather Creek on the downhill side of the road. FS Road2760. This primitive road, noted for its rhododendron display in late June and July, branches left from FS Road 27 at 9.1 mi/14.7 km, and provides access to the popular Mount Townsend Trail, 0.9 mi/1.4 km from its junction with FS Road 27. FS Road 2810: Both ends of this road intersect FS Road 28— the east end at Bon Jon Pass, the west end 4.2 mi/6.8 km from the Palo Alto Road. The road leads to the Mount Zion Trail. FS Road 2820: The road branches left from FS Road 28, 0.2 mi/0.3 km west of Bon Jon Pass, and leads to the Little Quilcene Trail. FS Road 2730 (The Mount Walker Road): This road leaves US 101 5.0 rail 8.1 km southwest of Quilcene and climbs to the top of Mount Walker, ascending steadily as it almost encircles the peak. At 3.2-mi/5.2 km a viewpoint overlooks the country to the south and east, including Mount Rainier. The road forks at 4.1 mi/ 6.6 km. The right branch goes about 600 yards to the South Viewpoint (2730 ft/ 832 m); the left branch extends approximately 250 yards to the North Viewpoint (also 2730 ft/832 m). Each viewpoint has a loop at the end. The South Viewpoint overlooks Dabob Bay and Dabob Peninsula, Hood Canal, Puget Sound, the Cascades, and the eastern foothills of the Olympics. The North Viewpoint has a sweeping view of the Olympics from Mount Jupiter to Mount Townsend, and it also overlooks the Quilcene Range to the north, and the neighboring lowlands. The lower slopes of the range have been badly scarred by patch logging.