Beyond the Overlook
Worth it? Yes, for confident hikers who are comfortable with steep, exposed terrain. The rope section made the hike feel fun and adventurous to us rather than scary, but it is beyond the maintained NPS trail and should be treated seriously.
The hike starts in the forest
One reason we loved Storm King is how much the hike changes. The beginning gives you the huge trees and shaded Olympic forest before the trail starts climbing aggressively above Lake Crescent.
Then it gets adventurous
When we hiked in summer 2021, other hikers had even left climbing gloves near the base of the rope section for people to use. That was a memorable part of our day, not something we would expect to find today.
NPS marks an End of Maintained Trail point and warns that the terrain beyond it is steep and exposed with loose rock. Visitors sometimes install ropes there, but NPS does not install, inspect or maintain those ropes. Check them and the terrain for yourself rather than treating a rope as safety equipment.
The payoff
The view over Lake Crescent was unreal. This is the hike that best combined the things we loved about Olympic: enormous forest, a hard climb, a little adventure and a dramatic mountain-and-lake payoff.
Pair it with Marymere Falls
Marymere Falls is right in the same Lake Crescent trail system, so we would absolutely combine the two. After Storm King, Marymere is an easy way to add a waterfall without creating another major driving stop.
Keep planning Olympic: our 4-day itinerary, best hikes, Mt. Storm King, Rialto to Hole in the Wall, and Hoh vs. Quinault.