ELIP CREEK TRAIL

Length 4.6 mi/7.4 km
Access North Fork Quinault Trail: Skyline Trail
USGS Map Kimta Peak
Agency Olympic National Park

This route links the North Fork Quinault Trail with the Skyline Trail, 
thus making a 21-mile loop trip possible, via four trails-Big Creek, 
Skyline, Elip Creek, and North Fork Quinault. The trail begins (1060 ft/323 m) 
on the North Fork Quinault Trail between Elip Creek and Three Prune 
Creek and climbs directly up the steep spur between them to the 
Queets-Quinault Divide.

At first the trail traverses Douglas fir and hemlock forest, where it 
switchbacks through a series of bad windfalls for about a mile and a half. 
Many trees have been blown down in this area, and where they fell across the 
trail the logs have been cut out. The wind toppled almost every tree in several 
places, and they lie tangled like jackstraws, pointing in every direct ton, 
at times piled on top of one another.

Above the windfalls die forest changes to silver fir, with a little red cedar. 
The steep switchbacks end, and the trail now follows the narrow ridge. Here 
one can look in both directions-north into the deep canyon of Three Prune 
Creek, south into the gorge of Elip Creek. Both are heavily forested, and 
from the depths raise the muffled sounds of running water. The northern slope, 
falling away to Three Prune Creek, is the more impressive because it is 
exceedingly precipitous-incredibly steep for a forested slope.

As it ascends higher, the trail leaves the dense forest and enters the Subalpine 
Zone with its alternation of meadowland and isolated groves of trees. The higher 
one goes, the more open the country becomes, and little streams cross the meadows 
at frequent intervals. The brooks are the only source of water along this trail; 
none is found in the forest below.

One Tent Camp (4.5 mi/7.2 km; 3750 ft/1143 m) is located near the head of the 
South Fork of Three Prune Creek. As the name implies, this spot by the trail 
has sufficient space to pitch one tent. The trail then intersects with the Skyline 
Trail (4.6 mi/7.4 km; 3800 ft/1158 m) on the Queets-Quinault Divide.