Staircase Campground, Olympic National Forest

      First thing to know about this campground is that it is well off the beaten path but well used. It is at the very end of Lake Cushman, at the bottom of the Olympic peninsula or about 30 minutes north of Shelton, and the drive to it is windy, sometimes not paved but absolutely beautiful.

     The campground itself is quite a stunning and most of the sites work much better for tent campers as there isn"t much room for maneuverability of camper trailers but sites 1-6 offer possibilities for small camp trailers or campers. There are no hookups or showers but they do offer running water and flush toilets. It is first come first serve and has a ranger station that offers a variety of educational shows during the summer at their amphitheater. The campground is settled next to the Skokomish river which offers a little bit of fishing and some great water play. There are only around 40 some campsites and we were camping over the busy Labor Day weekend when it was filled to capacity but it didn't ever feel busy or crowded.

There are a variety of trails that start off in this area that range from short day hikes to back country hikes.  Our family decided to tackle the 2 mile hike that starts in the parking lot and goes up and around the rapids in the river, hence the name Rapids trail. It was a gorgeous hike but is not for those that are not sure footed. The trail starts off wide and flat but quickly turns rocky and goes both uphill and downhill. If you take the family, keep an eye on the smaller kiddos and don't bring a stroller. We were here during Labor Day weekend and the river was actually not raging in the least but the views this hike offered were breathtaking. I hope to come back in the spring when the river is running at its highest.We hope to come back in both the fall, for the full array of colors that could be offered and the spring to enjoy the full power of the river.