GRAND RIDGE TRAIL Length 7.6 mi/12.2 km Access Deer Park Road; Obstruction Point Road USGS Maps Maiden Peak; Mount Angeles Agency Olympic National Park Varying in elevation from 5000 to 6500 ft/ 1524 to 1981 m, this trail follows Grand Ridge from Deer Park to Obstruction Point. Most of the time it is above timberline, where the succession of spectacular views is outstanding, but subalpine trees are present at low points on the route. The hiker should carry water because it is usually not available. The trail is accessible by road at both ends - the Deer Park Road in the east, the Obstruction Point Road in the west. The Forest Service planned to connect the roads, and construction crews worked from both ends. However, the western crew stopped near Obstruction Point, and the one at Deer Park built less than a mile of road. Later the National Park Service considered reviving the project, but hikers, conservationists, and ecologists objected to converting the Grand Ridge Trail, the highest in the Olympic Mountains, into a road, and the plan was abandoned. The trail begins near Deer Park Ranger Station (5230 ft/ 1594 m) on Blue Mountain, and at first follows the abandoned road, which the Forest Service had planned to link up with the Obstruction Point Road. Because the trail descends through heavy stands of subalpine fir and lodgepole pine, the views are limited at first. Leaving the roadbed, the trail traverses a succession of meadows, and then climbs steeply through subalpine forest toward Green Mountain. On this exposed ridge, the wind howls in the trees, but with each upward step the views improve - both to the north overlooking Morse Creek and to the south across the Graywolf River. As the trail traverses around Green Mountain, it goes through stands of subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, and lodgepole pine-predominantly the latter. At a saddle (2.0 mi/3.2 km; 5500 ft/1676 m) west of the peak one can look across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the mountains on Vancouver Island. Port Angeles is also visible-especially prominent are Ediz Hook and the smoke pouring from the Crown Zellerbach mill. Dungeness Spit stands out to the northeast, with the San Juan Islands and the Coast Mountains of British Columbia beyond. West of the saddle the trail ascends through stands of subalpine fir, and the hiker can look back and see Blue Mountain and the Deer Park Road. The peak's lower slopes are forested with both old- and second-growth trees, fire having swept the mountainside many years ago. The burned areas are now covered with young trees; the patches of virgin timber stand out as darker green. Beyond a swale known as Grassy Valley (2.5 mi/4.0 km; 5500 ft/1676 m), the trail climbs to broad, open meadows, which are covered with grasses that wave in the wind. The path here is a deep trench in the tundra like meadows. The views are spectacular, especially to the east and south. They include not only the scenes observed from the saddle near Green Mountain, but also the Cascades, dominated by Mount Baker and Glacier Peak. Closer at hand are The Needles and Blue Mountain in the Olympics. Grand Ridge is clearly visible from this point all the way back to Deer Park. This stretch just traversed is lower than what lies ahead, and it is mostly covered with trees. As it works around a rocky peak, the trail goes through a band of firs, and then crosses an outcrop of shale and sandstone. The Cameron Glaciers are visible from this point, Elk Mountain is directly ahead, and the scene includes Grand Lake and Grand Valley. Crossing meadowland broken by patches of juniper, the trail meanders through sandstone strata inclined almost vertically, and then traverses below the saddle next to Maiden Peak. The short walk to Maiden Peak (6434 ft/1961 m) is well worth the time. The northeast slope drops sharply to a basin that harbors Maiden Lake. The distant views are similar to those observed from the big meadow above Grassy Valley, but they are more expansive and include the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Dungeness Flats, the San Juan Islands, and the Cascades. Near at hand stands Blue Mountain, with the Deer Park Road winding up its slopes. The Olympics to the south are in full view, and away to the northwest one can see Port Angeles and the Hurricane Ridge Road cutting across the face of Klahhane Ridge. However, the view to the west is blocked by the vast, arid bulk of Elk Mountain. Beyond the saddle the trail crosses meadows below a ridge of upturned strata, then descends to Roaring Winds Camp (4.5 mi/7.2 km; 6000 ft/1829 m), located at timberline in the notch between Maiden Peak and Elk Mountain. The peaks obscure the view, but the campsite is well named because cold winds rush through this gap, where ground-hugging subalpine firs are interspersed among rock outcrops. The hiker who wishes to camp here can either carry water or melt snow obtained from a snowfield several hundred feet down the North Slope. The trail then zigzags up to the broad plateau called Elk Mountain. Here for nearly 2 miles the path's elevation exceeds 6500 ft/1981 m, making it the highest trail in the Olympic Mountains. Lying above timberline, this country consists of tundra like meadows, where fields of smooth stones covered with lichen are interspersed among tufts of grass. Hawks soar overhead looking for prey, and twittering finches flit among the grasses while searching for insects. The view from the broad, open slopes of Elk Mountain is identical with that from Maiden Peak, with one notable exception. Lesser peaks now in full view, attend Mount Olympus, including Christie, Meany, Ferry, Stephen, and Carrie. Previously they were hidden from view by Elk Mountain itself. Crossing shale slides, the trail intersects with the Elk Mountain Trail (5.6 mi/ 9.0km; 6575 ft/2004 m), then skirts just below the summit. Again one should walk to the top (6764 ft/2062 m) in order to enjoy the view to the north. After traversing the plateau, the trail descends to the low point between Elk Mountain and Obstruction Peak, where it contours the head of Badger Valley. Beyond the junction with the Badger Valley Trail (7.4 mi/11.9 km; 6050 ft/1844 m), the trail follows the abandoned roadbed to Obstruction Point (7.6 mi/12.2 km; 6100 ft/1859 m) on the south side of Obstruction Peak. Barren peaks and ridges, still flecked with snowfields in late summer, rise beyond the green depths of Badger Valley.