Seven Lakes

This route is about 60 miles and has three big climbs and about 11,700ft of elevation gain. Much like it's sister route Graves Creek, it is a great mix of everything that makes the Olympics so amazing, big trees, dense forest, steep trails, river valleys, high open ridges, fun single track, and good odds of seeing bear, elk and other animals.

The loop includes six miles of primitive trail connecting the Bogachiel River basin to the Hoh River basin. It also includes about 5 miles along the Upper Hoh Road, you must travel this section on foot. Do not skip this section, do not use car shuttle.

Being a loop route, you can actually start the route and finish the route anywhere along the loop and you can travel either clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Route:

Start at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. Travel down the Hoh River Trail until it reaches the junction with Hoh Lake Trail. Travel up Hoh Lake Trail up and past Hoh Lake and up to Bogachiel Peak and the High Divide Trail. Travel East on the High Divide Trail toward Heart Lake and traveling counter-clockwise, the long way around the Seven Lakes Basin on the Sol Duc River Trail. At the Northwest corner of the loop turn south onto Deer Lake Trail heading up towards Hidden Lake and eventually Deer Lake. From Deer Lake connect to Little Divide Trail toward Blackwood Lake. 

From the junction to Blackwood Lake take the Bogachiel River Trail down the ridge toward the North Fork Bogachiel River and along the river until it joins the main Bogachiel River, continue until the junction with the Bogachiel River South Bank Trail. Continue until you reach the junction with the Hoh-Bogachiel-Primitive Trail (aka "South Snider-Jackson trail" or "Tumwata trail"). Take the Hoh-Bogachiel Primitive trail up and over the ridge and back toward the Hoh River valley. Finally connect back to the Upper Hoh road and continue the five miles back to the Hoh visitor center.