The North Fork Sokokomish River Trail runs 13.1 miles from Staircase Trailhead to First Divide (4,688') in Olympic National Park. It continues approximately 2 miles north into the Duckabush Valley, where backpackers can access O'Neil Pass, La Crosse basin and La Crosse Pass.

The North Fork Skokomish River Trail features many miles of pristine, old growth forests

The North Fork Skokomish River forms on the north flank of Mt Skokomish (6,434') and west flank of Mt Stone (6,612')

Infrequent breaks in the canopy offer brief glimpses of the valley; the forest yields little in the way of views until nearing Two Bear Camp

The trail begins on a wide, graded path through lush bottomlands along the river

Douglas Fir is the largest and tallest member of the pine family; it grows in a wide range of habitats and can exhibit a range of characteristics

Snow may linger on the north slopes below First Divide (Duckabush side) much later in the season than on the Skokomish side

'Old growth forest' definitions are evolving with new research, but can still generally be characterized as having been untouched for 150+ years, multiple canopy layers and large standing dead trees

The high bridge over Madeline Creek may unnerve some hikers, especially when slick

A wide but relatively easy ford is required to reach Nine Stream Camp

The trail crosses rolling meadows with tree-topped knolls on the final run up to First Divide

Bigleaf maple favor gravelly, moist soils along creek, river and lake edges; mature trees may produce 3-6 gallons of sap per year, with about 35 gallons of sap required to make 1 gallon of syrup

Nice campsites can be found on both sides of the river at Camp Pleasant

The Beaver Fire of 1985 created a few clearings with good views across lower sections of the North Fork

A wide bridge leads over a scenic gorge in the river to the Six Ridge Trail split

The trail climbs 1630' in just 2.2 miles from Nine Stream Camp to Two Bear Camp in the subalpine, where the forest thins across open brushy slopes with views

Cedar trees resistance to decay comes from naturally occurring fungicidal compounds in the wood (thujaplicins) and thujic acid, which helps make the wood resistant to insect attack

The trail moves quickly through intervals of level bottomlands between the Six Ridge Trail split and Nine Stream Camp

The forest opens to great views down the North Fork Skokomish River Valley about .5 miles from First Divide

Bunchberry, a member of the dogwood family, covers large swaths of the forest floor