Duckabush River Trail

I woke up this morning at 5:00 ready to make the drive across the Hood Canal Bridge and South to the tiny town of Brinnon. Little did I know that what should have been a 70 minute drive to the Duckabush Rive Trail would turn into a 2.5 hour drive!I became a little turned around because the directions I brought with me were lacking in the information department. Check out the directions at the bottom of this post. These will help you find your way in record time.

I was happy that my wife Michelle decided to run with me on this gloriously sunny March day. She is always up for any kind of adventure I suggest. I enjoy the woods even better when I have someone like Michelle with me who really appreciates nature's wonders as I do. Not to mention when I was struggling running up the switchbacks, it was nice chasing a beautiful woman up the trail!

I highly recommend running the Duckabush River Trail. The first mile or so climbs gently past the Brothers Wilderness boundary. Then it makes it way down to the roaring Duckabush River. After a short stretch along the river, we made our way towards Big Hump. The high point of Big Hump is at about 1700 feet. This is the steepest part of the run. Beyond Big Hump we followed the meandering trail through pristine virgin forest. This section of the trail is gently rolling and it gradually makes its way down to 5-mile campground. 5-mile campground sits along the impressive rapids of the Duckabush. We snapped some photos and decided it was time to start our reverse run back to Big Hump and down to the trail head. (Special note for motivated mountain runners: You can continue past 5-mile campground for 17 more miles all the way to O'Neil Pass, elevation 4950 feet.)

The picture below is of Michelle and I at the top of Big Hump.



I am looking forward to another 10 miles or so tomorrow. It will be tough to top today for sure.

Getting there -- On U.S. Route 101, about 15 miles south of Quilcene or 37 miles north of Shelton, turn at milepost 310 onto Duckabush River Road (Road 2510), signed Duckabush Recreation Area. Continue 6 miles (the first 3.5 miles are paved). Pass Collins Campground at 5 miles, pass a horse unloading area and then turn right on Road 2510-060 (This is a small sign on your right) to the trailhead and facilities, elevation about 440 feet.

Random pictures from Duckabush River Trail...this is why I love trail running!