If you’re looking for a trail that promises solitude, epic views, and plenty of berries, the Colonel Bob Peak Trail in the Quinalt Area of Olympic National Park is for you.

This trail has been on my list for years. When I finally managed to do it, I was blown away at how incredible it was. Olympic National Park has a ton of incredible hikes, but the Quinault area is one of my favorites.

Colonel Bob Peak can be accessed from two different trailheads, the main trailhead and Pete’s Creek. Both trails eventually get you to the top, but the main trail will get you there after 7 miles with over 4,300 feet of gain, and Pete’s Trail will get you there in 4.1 miles with 3,500 feet of gain.

Here is everything you need to know about getting to the top of Colonel Bob Peak, regardless of your starting point, how to stay overnight, and what you need to do to be prepared. Let’s get into it!

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Colonel Bob Peak Trail in Olympic National Park

Colonel Bob Peak feels like an overlooked, hidden gem in Olympic National Park. You’ll be exchanging the company of people for the company of banana slugs on this trail. The best part? You will never have to fight for a parking spot at this trailhead.

This trail feels like a slow-burn romance as you make your way up to the peak. You know the views are coming, and you keep getting small glimpses of views, but for the majority of the trail, you’re deep in a stunning old growth forest without much of a view.

But I can assure you, the wait is well worth it.

Know Before You Go

Before you head out on your hike, take a look at the following information!

Colonel Bob Peak Location

Colonel Bob Peak is located on the ancestral lands of the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Quinault Nations. We are grateful for the stewards of this land, past and present. We are honored to be and recognize that we are guests on this land.

Getting to Colonel Bob Peak Trailhead

The trailhead for Colonel Bob Peak is located in the Quinault area of the park, near Enchanted Valley. To get there, travel from Hoquiam, WA, north on Highway 101. After 35 miles, turn right onto South Shore Road towards Lake Quinault Lodge. Drive along South Shore Road for 6 miles before turning right into the trailhead parking lot.

The trailhead is marked with a “Colonel Bob Trailhead” sign just before you turn right.

HOT TIP: On your way out of the trail, you can stop at the largest Sitka spruce tree in the world! It is a short walk from the roadside and a nice way to stretch your legs before getting back in the car.

Trailhead Facilities

The parking area has enough parking for about eight cars, but at any one time, there was only one other car parked here. Most people park at the Pete’s Creek trailhead.

While it is labeled with a bathroom sign, there are no facilities available at the trailhead. There are also no trash cans, so whatever you pack in needs to be packed out.

If you are doing this trail as a day hike, definitely bring a Kula Cloth.

There is a pit toilet at the Mulkey Shelter about four miles into the trail.

Pass/Permit

The permit required for Colonel Bob Peak is a Northwest Forest Pass. This pass has a $30 annual fee and provides access to all National Forests in Washington and Oregon. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, it would also work for this trailhead.

Be sure to leave your pass in your windshield.

You can purchase a National Forest Pass here.

Season to Visit

Colonel Bob Trail is an incredible summer hike brimming with wildflowers and ripe salmonberries. The trail is largely accessible between mid-June and November.

If you’re looking to backpack the trail, waiting until early July would be your best bet for finding a snow-free campsite.

Later in the season, many of the water sources along the route will have dried up except for the Fletcher Canyon water source at Moonshine Flats, so be prepared for a long water carry.

Keep in mind that this trail is located in a temperate rain forest and you should expect temperate rain forest conditions, such as unexpected rain and cloudy conditions.

What to Pack on Your Hike

Just like on any other hike, you will want to bring the Ten Essentials, but I have also identified some specific items I found helpful on the trail.

1. Sunshirt: Even though you are covered for a lot of the trail, once you pass the Pete’s Creek intersection, you’re pretty exposed.
2. Binoculars: From the peak, you can see the Pacific Ocean, Mount Olympus, Mount Rainier, and sometimes Mount St. Helens. Binosulars would be helpful in identifying all the different peaks!
3. Backpacking Chair: I brought my backpacking chair for a night in the wilderness, and I regret not packing it up to the summit!
4. Bug Spray: There are some small ponds along the trail that are massive mosquito breeding grounds. I brought bug spray and my Thermacell for camp.
5. Electrolytes: This trail is HARD. Bring plenty of water and electrolytes to help keep you hydrated on the trail.
6. Long Pants: Salmonberries have taken over a big portion of the trail. It would be pretty miserable to hike this trail with exposed legs. I wore the Free People Movement In The Wild pants.
7. Trekking Poles: I personally would not attempt this trail without hiking poles.

I have a full blog on backpacking gear that you can read here!

Hiking Colonel Bob Peak

If you’re looking for a hike that makes you feel small, Colonel Bob Peak truly is the perfect trail for you. While you’re walking through old-growth forest, you’ll find towering western hemlock, silver fir, and western red cedar. By the time you make it to the peak, you’ll be impressed by the expansive views of the Olympic Mountain range.

Here is exactly what you can expect along the trail.

Trailhead to Mulkey Shelter

The elevation gain up to Colonel Bob Peak begins the moment you step foot on the trail. As your legs begin to burn, you’ll find yourself surrounded by lush forest with the sound of the road and lawn mowers fading away.

This first section of the trail is roughly 3.5 miles, depending on whether you’re relying on your Garmin, AllTrails, WTA, or a trail guide. Olympic National Park is historically known for having wildly inaccurate mileage for their trails. Between my friend and my apps, the distance to the shelter was closer to 3.8 miles. You will find this to be a common theme throughout this hike.

The trail’s grade ranges from a gentle 15% to 30% or more in places. However, you will find that this is some of the easiest hiking along the route because there is minimal brush, the path is mostly dirt, and there are few tripping hazards.

We stopped for lunch when our watches hit 3.0 miles, but we did not see the 3-mile trail marker until about 3.5 miles. We saw Mulkey Shelter shortly after that.

The shelter is in a bit of disarray, but you can tell people still visit it, as there are a variety of treasures left behind. Things like hats, walking sticks, shirts, and orange peels.

There is a pit toilet at the shelter. When I moved in, the toilet was in pretty good condition, but it is unclear when, or if, it will be serviced this year.

Washington Trails Association has been doing a lot of work on this trail, including felling trees, clearing brush, and evening out the trail. But there is still plenty of work to do on trail maintenance. After Mulkey Shelter, evidence of trail maintenance subsides. But HUGE shout out to WTA for all they have done so far!

Mulkey Shelter to Pete’s Creek Intersection

After Mulkey Shelter, there is a short section of switchbacks. The switchbacks are overgrown in places, making it challenging to watch your footing.

However, this push will bring you to a small pass where you will receive a reprieve from going uphill. As you begin your descent, you’ll be reminded that you will need to go back up this part of the trail. I can assure you, you will be grateful for the uphill section on your way back.

It is this section of trail that gives you a glimpse of the other side of the Olympic Mountains that you have been hiking towards. It is an appetizer of what is to come.

The descent ends when you get to the intersection of the Pete’s Creek trail. At the trail junction, keep to the left to continue towards Colonel Bob Peak.

Pete’s Creek Intersection to Moonshine Flats

As you hike towards Moonshine Flats, you will enter one of the prettiest valleys of the Quinault Valley area. This portion of the trail is brimming with all sorts of wildflowers like Bear Grass, Tiger Lily, Lupin, Magenta paintbrush, avalanche lilies, thistle, western columbine, spreading phlox, and cutleaf daisy…to name a few.

As you skirt Gibson Peak, you begin your ascent up towards Moonshine Flats.

Aside from the hike up to Colonel Bob, this is some of the steepest terrain on the trail. You’ll be stepping up moss-covered boulders and up large tree roots. Many people liken this trail to the East Coast Trail, and they would be correct.

From the trailhead to Moonshine Flats, the National Park will list it as 6 miles, but our watches indicated it was closer to 7 miles.

Moonshine Flats is a beautiful area in the mountain valley between Colonel Bob Peak and Gibson Peak. There are large patches to set up camp, and the stream running through Fletcher Canyon has plenty of water. The only downside is that some ponds are covered in mosquito larvae.

Before heading up to the peak, we set up camp in Moonshine Flats and ate dinner.

Moonshine Flats to the Mountain Summit

When we arrived at Moonshine Flats, another backpacker told us that in the past it had taken them close to 1.5 hours to reach the summit.

So, we hurried to set up camp and eat dinner before completing the last push to the top of the mountain. For dinner, Claire ate the Pad Thai, and I had the Chicken Pho, both from Good to Go.

The last push to the peak is about 0.7 miles with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. It is a knee-cruncher, but the excitement of the views was well worth it. We made it to the summit after 56 minutes! This section of the trail was in good shape and easy to follow, but once you get to the rocky peak, stick to the left along the rock face.

There are 360-degree summit views of the Olympic Peninsula. It is the perfect spot to sit back, relax, and catch your breath. The small group of people at the top had made themselves hot chocolate, set up camp chairs, and enjoyed the views.

Given the amount of effort required to reach the summit of Colonel Bob, I would recommend saving this trail for a clear day in fair weather.

From the summit, you can see the rocky peaks of Mount Rainier, Mount Olympus, and Mount St. Helens.

Hiking Back to the Trailhead

From the summit back to the trailhead, you lose a significant amount of elevation. I was very happy to have my hiking poles with me. Since the trail starts in the Quinault River Valley, you are essentially hiking back down to sea level from 4,200 feet.

The hike down to Moonshine Flats was slow going because of the steep steps. We hiked down in the dark to get back to camp in Moonshine Flats and needed our headlamps. It would have been very treacherous to attempt the descent without them.

The next morning, when we hiked from Moonshine Flats back to the trailhead, the section from camp down to the Pete’s Creek Intersection was the hardest on our knees.

From the shelter until the last mile of the trail, things were relatively smooth sailing. When we finally reached the trail signs for “1 mile,” we were jumping with joy and could make out Quinault Lake and our car between the breaks in the treeline.

Backpacking Colonel Bob Peak

If you are not located on the Olympic Peninsula, I would recommend backpacking the Colonel Bob Trail. The drive out to the area is long, and the hike is more time-consuming than you might think.

To backpack the trail, all you need is your gear!

Since the trailhead is located in the Colonel Bob Wilderness area, you actually do not need permits to stay overnight in the area. You just need your Northwest Forest Pass to park your car at the trailhead. If you are starting at the Pete’s Creek Trailhead, you will need to sign the summit register. There is no summit register at the main trailhead.

Campsites are located throughout Moonshine Flats, so you might have to hunt for a site. You will see small trails that branch off the main trail to the summit. Once you pass the first murky pond on your left near Moonshine flats, keep your eyes peeled.

Colonel Bob Peak via Pete’s Creek Trail

For a slightly shorter and minimally easier route to Colonel Bob Peak, you can take the Pete’s Creek Trail.

The Pete’s Creek route is 8.2 miles, round trip, with 3,500 feet of gain. This route is definitely more manageable for a day hike, but don’t confuse “easier” with “easy”.

You are still going to be gaining significant elevation in a short period of time.

The trailhead is located on National Forest Development Road 2204. Unlike Colonel Bob Trailhead, there is a restroom here and more parking available.

Should Colonel Bob be a “100 Classic Hikes of Washington”?

I have made it a mission to hike all “100 Classic Hikes of Washington”, a trail guide book written by Craig Romano and published by Mountaineers Books. In 2020, I purchased the book, and in 2022, I fully committed to hiking every trail it featured.

But as I have hiked each of the trails, I always ask myself the same question: “Should this be considered a 100 classic?”

When my friend and I reached the top of Colonel Bob Peak and were taking in the spectacular views around us, I asked the question. We had the same answer: yes.

While Colonel Bob is not the most accessible, it brings you to an untouched part of Olympic National Forest. When you find yourself surrounded by trees 200, 300, 400+ years old, it is hard not to consider how lucky you are to be there. The rainforests in Olympic have trees almost 1,000 years old, so who really knows how old some of these trees actually are?

Colonel Bob is the perfect mountain for a very mild class summit. While my knees will not let me go back there any time soon, I know I’ll be back on this trail someday.

If you want to start your own 100 Classic Hike journey, you can purchase the trail guide here.

Other Trails in the Area

Olympic National Park has some incredible trails. If you are looking to knock out some amazing trails in the park, I would recommend the following:

• Toleak Point – The perfect coastal trail for wildlife, solitude, and sea stacks.
• Enchanted Valley – Spectacular views of the Olympic Mountain Valley with a scenic Mountain Chalet.
• Ozette Triangle – Fantastic beginner backpacking trail with ancient petroglyphs.
• Mount Ellinor – A short and spicy trail with incredible views of the Olympic Mountains.
• Shi Shi Beach – Exquisite tide pooling and the perfect single-night backpacking trip.

Pack it Up

Colonel Bob Peak is an underrated trail with spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains. To fully enjoy the experience, I would highly recommend staying overnight in Moonshine Flats. The rugged peaks that surround the campground are a real treat to wake up to.

For the most up-to-date information on current conditions of the trail, make sure you stop at Quinault Ranger Station, just two miles from the trailhead along South Shore Lake Quinault Road.

The Pacific Northwest has some incredible trails, but you should definitely put Colonel Bob Peak higher up on your to-do list.