Mount Storm King climbs about 2,100 feet to a Lake Crescent view, and the last stretch is hauled up on ropes
Most hikes hand you a view and ask for a little sweat in return. Mount Storm King asks for a lot more: about 2,100 feet of climbing, a stretch where you haul yourself up the mountain by rope, and a summit ridge with no patience for wobbly knees.
The payoff is Lake Crescent spread out below you like a blue-green mirror, with the Olympic Mountains stacked up behind it. Is it worth it? Yes, if you go in with your eyes open. Here’s the honest version.
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What you’re signing up for
The National Park Service rates Storm King as difficult, and it earns the label. The trail starts near the Storm King Ranger Station on Lake Crescent and shares its first stretch with the Marymere Falls route, then splits left at a big boulder and starts climbing in earnest.
From there it’s switchback after switchback through dense forest. Expect roughly 2.5 to 3.5 hours total for most hikers, and plan on knees that have opinions on the way down.
The first real view of the lake shows up around 1.6 miles in, through a gap in the trees. If your legs are done, this is a perfectly respectable place to turn around, and nobody should make you feel bad about it.
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The ropes
Past the end of the maintained trail, the path turns into rocky, loose, nearly vertical ground, and ropes anchored to trees and shrubs do the work that stairs would do on a friendlier mountain. Some pitches are easy, some feel like a gym class you didn’t sign up for.
Drop-offs line the sides, so this is not the hike for anyone who gets queasy around heights. Going down is the harder direction, so give yourself extra time.
The summit
After the ropes comes a short, narrow rock scramble to the top. The ridge is small and can be windy, so on a busy day you may end up waiting your turn for a few minutes of view.
It’s worth the wait. Lake Crescent sits to the north and west, impossibly blue, with forested ridges rolling away behind it. My plainly stated opinion: this is the best lake view in Olympic National Park, and the only way to earn it is with your legs.
Why go now
The park lists May through October as the best season for Storm King, and snow can cover the higher sections in any season. That makes late October the tail end of the easy window, and a clear, dry day is the whole point of a view hike.
Check the park’s trail conditions page and the forecast before you drive out, and carry the 10 Essentials. Weather on the ridge can turn quickly, and there’s no water on the trail.
Make it a day
The trailhead sits inside Olympic National Park, so you’ll need a park entrance pass, and there are no booths on the way to the lot, so get your America the Beautiful Pass sorted before you arrive. The lot fills up early, even on weekdays.
Since you’re already on the first stretch of the Marymere Falls trail, that waterfall makes an easy, flat reward for tired legs. If you want more of the lake, we’ve rounded up the best Lake Crescent hikes and a full guide to Lake Crescent, plus our picks for the best hikes in Olympic National Park.
So, are you a ropes person or a turn-around-at-the-viewpoint person? Tell us which one you’d pick.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change, so always confirm current requirements before you go.
