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Enchanted Valley, my first group trip: a still from my film

Olympic National Park, Washington · June 2022

Enchanted Valley, my first group trip

61.6 KM · 5 DAYS · 1,640 M

5 days to the chalet and Anderson Pass in Olympic National Park.

Watch the film 47:31 · 316K views

At a glance

Where
Olympic National Park, Washington
Distance
61.6 km (38.3 miles)
Days
5 days, 4 nights: two at O'Neil Creek and two in the Enchanted Valley
Climbing
About 5,380 ft (1,640 m) up and down
Season
The valley from May to September. Anderson Pass is snow covered into June most years. I went June 6 to 10, 2022
Start and end
Graves Creek trailhead
When I went
June 2022
Relief map of the Enchanted Valley route: 5 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Graves Creek, Chimney Peak and O'Neil Creek.
Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Highest 4,510 ft (1,375 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 4,510 ft (1,375 m), lowest 610 ft (186 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Tents at the O'Neil Creek camp, the evening of Day 1.
    Tents at the O'Neil Creek camp, the evening of Day 1.
  • The Enchanted Valley Chalet under the snowy peaks, Day 2.
    The Enchanted Valley Chalet under the snowy peaks, Day 2.
  • The trail through the forest on the way down, Day 4.
    The trail through the forest on the way down, Day 4.
  • Under the tarps at the O'Neil Creek camp, the morning of Day 5.
    Under the tarps at the O'Neil Creek camp, the morning of Day 5.
Snowy peaks above the upper Enchanted Valley, on the way to Anderson Pass, Day 3.
Snowy peaks above the upper Enchanted Valley, on the way to Anderson Pass, Day 3.

The guide · 53-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

5 days to the chalet and Anderson Pass in Olympic National Park.

  • All five days
  • My GPX files
  • Permits and rules
  • Anderson Pass in the snow
  • Getting there

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Look inside the guide

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Try Day 3 free

The whole Day 3, Anderson Pass and back page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

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What I carried in 2022

  • Packmy own Hyperlite packThe company's packs were very large, and that helped, because we carried a lot. Mine was smaller, so I had to strap the bear can on top.
  • Bear canistera bear canisterEveryone carried one, with group meals and our own snacks.
  • Rainan umbrellaSo clutch. In the alpine, with exposure, the wind gets you wet from the side and breaks umbrellas, but under the trees it keeps you dry, and I mostly stayed dry.
  • Feettrail runnersI never took them off at the stream crossings.
  • Snowmicrospikes from the companyWe absolutely needed them on the way to Anderson Pass.
  • Watera filterThe company provided water filtration.
  • PhoneAllTrailsRecording every day.

Filming kit

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

The Americas and New Zealand bundle

This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

How long is the hike to the Enchanted Valley?
The National Park Service puts the Enchanted Valley 13 miles from the Graves Creek trailhead and Anderson Pass 18.2. My whole trip, in and out with a day hike to Anderson Pass, was 38.3 miles on my GPS over five days in June 2022, with about 5,380 ft of climbing.
Do you need a permit for the Enchanted Valley?
Yes. Every overnight trip in Olympic National Park needs a wilderness permit from Recreation.gov, and there are no walk-ups. In 2026 it was $8 per adult per night plus a $6 reservation fee, summer permits opened April 15 at 7 a.m. Pacific, and the East Fork Quinault was a quota area on a trial that started in 2024.
How do you get to the Graves Creek trailhead?
In 2026 the South Shore Road was closed by a washout, so the only way was the North Shore Road from US 101 at Amanda Park, then 6 miles of narrow gravel on Graves Creek Road. No RVs or trailers. There's no bus to the trailhead.
Do you need a bear canister in the Enchanted Valley?
Yes. Bear canisters are required in all wilderness camps in Olympic National Park, and hanging food isn't allowed in the Enchanted Valley. We saw one or two black bears every day of my trip.
Can you stay in the Enchanted Valley Chalet?
No. The chalet was built in 1930 and 1931, moved back from the river in 2014, and in 2026 it was closed and boarded up. You camp in the valley near it with a permit.
When is Anderson Pass free of snow?
The Park Service says the trail above about 3,500 ft is snow covered from November to June. I went on June 8, 2022 and climbed the last part on snow with microspikes. For a snow-free pass, plan July to September.

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