Mount Ellinor
1 week ago
Fog can shroud summit views
8 this month · 147 reports
Elbo Creek
Olympic Peninsula
updated 3 months ago
Elbo Creek trail access is currently compromised by a downed tree blocking the road just past the trailhead as of June 6, 2026. Prior to this, the trail was reported as being in excellent condition with only minor blowdown and no significant mud or snow encountered by April 23, 2026 and March 23, 2026. Snow was present on the upper road in early April 2026. Parking is generally easy due to proximity to Highway 101, though the initial stretch of the forest road can be rough with potholes, even for sedans November 28, 2025 and March 23, 2026. The trail itself is known for its relentless incline, with switchbacks aiding the ascent.
Generated from 9 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
What hikers ask about Elbo Creek
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 3 months ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
No trip reports on this trail in 3 months, so everything below is at least that old.
As of June 6, 2026, a downed tree was blocking the road just past the trailhead. Prior to that, the road was described as rough with significant potholes at the beginning, though most cars could manage with slow driving November 28, 2025 and March 23, 2026.
Reports from April 23, 2026 and March 23, 2026 indicate only a couple of small downed trees that were easy to navigate. Prior to that, in November 28, 2025, there were also reports of a few fallen trees. No other significant obstacles have been noted in recent reports.
Snow was intermittently present on the upper road in early April 2026, accumulating between 4-10 inches in places. However, by March 23, 2026, there was no snow reported on the trail or road. Earlier reports from November 28, 2025 mentioned only traces of snow that had melted quickly.
The trail is generally uncrowded. One report from April 23, 2026 noted seeing only one other person besides their group, and another from November 28, 2025 mentioned seeing only 4 other hikers throughout the entire time, though many people were getting Christmas trees on the main forest road.
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Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Sources
Older3 months ago
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
We arrived near the elbow Creek trailhead with the intent to drive up and approach the trail from the top. Unfortunately, a downed tree was blocking the road just past the trailhead. Two gentlemen wer...
Older5 months ago
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
Hiked the Elbo Creek Trail for the first time. Positives: trail is .2 off 101 so is very easy to reach-no long drive on potholed gravel road; trail is in excellent condition with only two small downed...
Older5 months ago
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
It is a winter wonderland as you hike farther up the road. I blazed a boot path to the top.:) The snow, I think, would be too soft for snow shoes to help.Trail conditions:- Snow free up to the road. I...
Older6 months ago
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
The road: Reading earlier reports from fall 2025 that said the road was rough, I parked my low clearance Prius on the pullout across from the road. There are some potholes right at the beginning, but...
Older10 months ago
Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal
7 of us of the Mountaineers hiked today to the Buck Mountain through the Elbo Creek trail.The short forest road to the Elbo creek trailhead is rough in the beginning, massive potholes. I drove my seda...
Older18 months ago
Olympic Peninsula
Hiked 8.5 miles just pass the American Towers around the corner on the road.Got into a small patch of snow at the towers road area, but other than that it was clear of snow. The trail is in great shap...
Older20 months ago
Olympic Peninsula
What a beautiful day for a hike. It was a good, steady hike up to the junction with the road to the communication towers on Buck Mt. We encountered snow only on the road part and it was crusty and icy...
Older22 months ago
Olympic Peninsula
Steady climb for 2.5miles to the forest road where we turned around. 3 hour hike. Similar workout to nearby Mt Walker, but more enjoyable given more open terrain, a few small vistas of distant snow co...
Older25 months ago
Olympic Peninsula
After a landslide wiped out a long segment of the original CCC built trail some 10 years ago, a WTA crew came in and roughed out a half mile reroute to take the trail up to a Forest Service logging ro...