A woman in a light jacket sits on a rocky viewpoint above Lake Crescent, looking out over the blue water and forested mountains. Evergreen branches frame the scene under a cloudy morning sky, emphasizing the sweeping alpine panorama.

Mount Storm King Trail

Port Angeles, WA

The Mount Storm King Trail climbs approximately 2,000 feet in 2 miles through old-growth forest to a viewpoint overlooking Lake Crescent and the surrounding Olympic peaks. The upper portion of the trail is steep and involves using rope assists on exposed sections. Views from the top reveal the full expanse of the turquoise lake below.

Photography Guide

Best Time: morning
Crowds: Quiet
Shot Types: widelandscape
Best Seasons: summerfall

Practical Tips

This is a strenuous hike with significant exposure near the summit; it is not recommended for those with a fear of heights. Start early for the best light on the lake.

Is it a good day to go?

7-day outlook

Mild, dry days with light winds are the most comfortable for a visit.

Forecast by Open-Meteo. Verdicts weigh the forecast against the conditions that suit this spot.

Author's Comments

The trail does not ease you into anything. You start climbing almost immediately and you keep climbing, two miles of steady elevation through old growth that smells of cedar and wet stone, and then the trail does something almost rude. It goes vertical. The ropes appear on the upper pitches, knotted and weathered, and you pull yourself up exposed rock with the lake dropping away behind you in increments that get harder to look at the higher you go. I went up in early September, starting before sunrise, and I had the summit to myself for almost an hour. Lake Crescent from that height is a color I am still not sure how to describe - somewhere between glacial blue and a mineral green, depending on the angle of the sun and the depth of the water below you. The Olympic peaks ring the far side. The lake holds the light differently than any water I have photographed in the Pacific Northwest, and from the top of Storm King you see the whole shape of it, not the postcard view from the road. A wide lens is the right choice here, but I will tell you the honest thing - the photograph is not really the point. The photograph cannot hold the exposure, the height, the way your hands are still shaking from the ropes when you finally sit down on the summit rock and let the morning catch up to you. Go for the climb. Bring the camera. Understand that what you carry down will mostly live in your head.

Gallery

A black-and-white newspaper page from 1916, with the headline “A Railroad on the Peninsula” above two small photos, including one labeled “Mt. Storm King” showing Lake Crescent framed by dark mountains and forested shoreline. Dense columns of text and old-fashioned advertisements fill the page around the images. Photo: Wood, James A., Reber, E.L / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Wide view across deep blue Lake Crescent toward a steep, forested mountain with exposed rocky cliffs under a clear morning sky. A narrow shoreline of evergreens and a few small lakeside buildings sits at the base of the slope. Photo: Kms5333 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

Mount Storm King rises steeply behind Lake Crescent, its forested slopes and rocky peaks reflected in the calm blue water. Dark leafy branches in the foreground frame the wide, panoramic view under clear morning light. Photo: Ron Clausen / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Mount Storm King rises in a broad, forested ridge above the calm turquoise water of Lake Crescent, with rocky sunlit outcrops near the summit under a clear blue morning sky. Dark shoreline trees and a small foreground branch frame the panoramic mountain-and-lake view. Photo: Ron Clausen / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Wide view across deep blue Lake Crescent toward a snow-dusted Olympic mountain under a clear morning sky. Dark forested slopes frame the lake, with a few low clouds brushing the ridge line. Photo: Jefftaylor@xwb.com (talk) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Two hikers in beanies and rain jackets pose smiling on a rocky, forested overlook, one flashing a peace sign and the other with both arms raised. Behind them, Lake Crescent stretches below in muted blue-green water, framed by steep evergreen slopes and a cloudy morning sky. Photo: NPS Photo / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

A hiker in a light gray jacket stands on a rocky overlook above Lake Crescent, facing the blue water and forested mountains beyond. Tall evergreens frame the steep viewpoint under a cloudy morning sky. Photo: NPS Photo / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

A hiker in a pink jacket and black beanie sits on a steep, muddy mountainside lookout, facing a misty valley framed by tall evergreen trees. Low clouds drift over layered ridgelines under a pale morning sky. Photo: NPS Photo / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Low clouds and fog drift over a rugged evergreen ridge, softening the distant peaks and leaving only the dark treeline and winding trail visible below. The wide view feels moody and alpine, with mist filling the valleys around the viewpoint. Photo: Robert Schrader / Pexels

From the journal

A day spent here

All entries →

A narrow dirt trail winds uphill through a dense old-growth forest, with moss-covered roots, ferns, and tall conifers filling the frame. The light is soft and shaded, but there is no view of Lake Crescent or the summit overlook.

Melancholy

Sep 1, 202610 min read

Waiting Out the Crowd at Storm King

A September morning on Mount Storm King, climbed too late in the day for solitude, and what I noticed while I waited my turn for the view.

Read the entry

Nearby Places

A tall, narrow waterfall drops in a thin white ribbon down a dark, moss-covered rock face into a small pool, with bright green ferns and forest growth clinging to the cliff around it. A wooden trail railing and scattered rocks frame the bottom of the scene, emphasizing the close-up view in the shaded forest.

Waterfalls

Port Angeles, WA

Marymere Falls

Marymere Falls is a 90-foot waterfall accessed via a 1.8-mile round-trip trail from the Storm King Ranger Station near Lake Crescent. The falls drop over a moss-covered cliff into a narrow gorge surrounded by old-growth Douglas fir and western hemlock. Water flow is highest in spring and after heavy rains.

morningspring · winter

Calm blue water fills the foreground, with fine ripples reflecting the morning light. Across the lake, a steep wall of evergreen forest lines the shore, with a small green-roofed dock and a few boats tucked at the water’s edge.

Photogenic

Port Angeles, WA

Lake Crescent

Lake Crescent is a deep glacially carved lake known for its striking blue-green clarity, which results from a lack of nitrogen that limits algae growth. The lake is surrounded by steep forested mountains and stretches over 8 miles in length. Historic Lake Crescent Lodge on the south shore has operated since 1916.

morningspring · summer

A rushing blue-green river surges through a narrow, moss-covered canyon, framed by tall old-growth evergreens and leafy spring trees. Sunlight brightens the forest canopy while the water breaks around dark rocks and a fallen log along the rocky bank.

Waterfalls

Port Angeles, WA

Sol Duc Falls

Sol Duc Falls is a multi-tiered waterfall where the Sol Duc River splits into three or four channels dropping roughly 25 feet into a narrow basalt canyon. The falls are reached via a 0.8-mile trail through old-growth forest from the Sol Duc trailhead. A photogenic footbridge crosses directly above the falls, providing an elevated vantage point.

morningspring · summer