Marmot Pass
Olympic Peninsula
As of June 22, 2026, Marmot Pass is snow-free and in excellent condition. The USFS road to the Upper Big Quilcene trailhead has significant potholes in the last few miles, requiring slow driving, though sedans have made it. Parking was about half full on a Monday morning (June 22nd).
The trail is well-established with a gradual but steady uphill climb. Expect a few logs to navigate, one at mile 4 requiring a duck under (potentially awkward with a large pack). Water sources are plentiful until Camp Mystery (mile 4.5), with the next reliable source at Buckhorn Lake. Bears have been spotted near Camp Mystery (June 17th). Wildflowers are abundant, especially at higher elevations. Parking lot occupancy varies, with early arrivals on weekends securing spots. Some reports from late April mention snow between Camp Mystery and the pass, with spikes being helpful, but by May and June, this snow has melted.
generated from 52 reports
Sources
Arrived at Upper Big Quilcene trailhead at 8:45 am on a Monday morning. Parking lot was about half full. USFS roads leading to the TH were generally in good shape except the last 2-3 miles (lots of ...
Arrived at the trailhead about 9:30 on a Monday morning, and the lot was about 2/3 full. The road was in good shape except for the last mile or two before the trailhead- a few sections there with lar...
Road has serious potholes but I’ve seen sedan makes it to the trailhead. Easy and slow driving. Toilet is open with lots of toilet paper.Trail is well established, though a bit confusing as it does no...
It was a beautiful day for a hike to Marmot Pass. The last few miles of road to the trailhead were, as usual, pretty potholed. I reached the trailhead at 7:15 a.m., where there were a handful of car...
Trail was not muddy and felt in great condition. There were a few trees across the trail that can difficult to navigate. There are several shallow streams that run through the trail, so waterproof foo...
Jetted out with a good buddy and caught the 6:15 Edmonds ferry over to Kingston, was able to get to the trailhead barely after 8 am.Road was paved most of the way out surprisingly and then just some r...
Strenuous and steep, but worth it. Wildflowers are just starting to bloom, no lupine yet. Small patches of snow but the trail was clear.
First one in the lot just before 8am. This trail is in phenomenal shape! One log to climb over at 1.5 miles posed a bit of a challenge to those with a short wheel base (I’m 5’2”) but is doable. All cr...
The road is snow-free. The trail is well built and nicely graded the whole way! Great overnight at Mystery camp. Some snow between Mystery and the pass; spikes were helpful. We went up to the peak, an...
Tuesday day hike in April on a drizzly day, was so much fun to be the one and only car at the trailhead, both when we started and when we finished. Nuckers' post from a few days early is still accurat...
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