Hiking the Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier is an epic weekend adventure and one I haven’t stopped thinking about for a full year. The route is an out and back trail and comes to 37 miles round trip with about 3,700 feet of elevation gain. The highest point on the trail is at 4,300 feet where you’ll stop to eat lunch and gaze at the big Blue Glacier. The Hoh River Trail starts in a temperate rainforest, progresses to an alpine meadow, and then arrives at a dramatic Blue Glacier.
There are plenty of websites that will give you the play by play step by step of this hike, I won’t do that, but I will tell you why you should absolutely schedule this into your summer, give you a packing list, and menu, and any other helpful bits.
You Should Definitely Hike The Hoh River Trail Because…
- It isn’t crowded. Walk fives mile in and the crowd diminishes. You will see a few dozen people past the ten mile mark, but they’re all as committed and awesome as you are.
- The variety of landscapes are outstanding. Temperate rainforest. Subalpine meadow. Subalpine meadow basin. Montane forest. Mothafckin’ Blue Glacier.
- It’s an epic two-nighter and an even more enjoyable three-nighter.
- You can climb around on enormous trees, take a cool dip in the Hoh River, and then hike through snow on your way to the glacier.
- It’s the perfect summer hike – not too hot and definitely not cold.
- Water is plentiful and honestly you don’t even have to poop outside – there are several outhouses on the trail.
- You’re hiking up close and personal to a glacier, but it isn’t a technical hike. The hardest part is probably taking it slow down the ladder (shown in the photo below).
- The trail is extremely easy to follow.
- There is opportunity to see wildlife, haaaay, mountain goat!
If You’re Doing it in Two Nights – Do This:
Hike as far as you can on day one. We started quite late and ended up hiking in the dark for a few hours, but we made it all the way to Lewis Meadow. You could even hike further than that to really set you up for success on the Glacier day. On day two, we left everything we had at the campsite except for water, warmth, and lunch. You could take your things with you, drop them at a campsite further down the trail and then continue on to the glacier, but we really liked our initial campsite and we wanted a shorter day (11 miles!) on day three. Day two was loooong, but the benefit of an in and out trail is knowing exactly what you’ll have to hike once you turn around and head back, so there were no surprises. Also, since you hike up, up, up to the Blue Glacier, the second half of day two is all downhill until dinner time.
Packing List
- Backpack
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
- Compass
- Map
- Fire Starter
- Permits
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Bandana
- Quick Dry Towel
- Beanie
- Underwear x2
- Socks x2 (Wool/Synthetic)
- Long Sleeve
- Short Sleeve/Tank Top
- Pants
- Shorts
- Swimsuit
- Rain Jacket
- Fleece
- Puffy
- Thermal Underwear
- Gloves
- Hiking Boots
- Chacos
- Toilet Paper + trowel
- Contacts/Glasses
- Hand Sanitizer
- Toothbrush/Paste
- Jet Boil
- Fuel
- Bowl
- Cup
- Spoon/Fork
- Pocketknife / Multitool
- Sawvivor
- Water Bottle/Camel Bak
- Water Filtration System
- Bear Canister
- Lantern
- Headlamp
- Trekking Poles
- Bug Spray
- Nylon rope
- Sunscreen
Menu
- Oatmeal
- Coffee – Starbucks Via
- Tuna packets
- Mayo packets
- Salt + Pepper
- Miso/Ramen soup packets
- Dried Seaweed / Dried Mushrooms
- Pita bread/crackers
- Pasta
- Alfredo dried sauce packet
- Pesto dried sauce packet
- Dried Fruit
- Jerky
- Trail Mix
- Chocolate Bar
- Gatorade Mix
If you’re considering this hike, here are a few great resources to read before you head out:
You’ll definitely need a permit – check the NPS website for more info.
Washington Trails Association has a good write up.
Here’s the Hiking Project’s take on it.
