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17898 Hits
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80.48% Score
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12 Votes
Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
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Lat/Lon:
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47.93472°N / 123.3205°W |
Activities:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Summer, Fall |
Elevation:
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6434 ft / 1961 m |
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Overview
Maiden Peak is a small peak along the Grand Ridge trail between Obstruction Point and Deer Park in Olympic National Park. The summit itself is a short scramble north of the trail, about 1.5 miles east of the higher Elk Mountain. Like Elk Mountain, it has spectacular views of the Olympic interior as well as the Straight of Juan de Fuca over Sequim and Port Angeles.
Getting There
Maiden Peak from Obstruction Point direction heading down Elk Mountain just over Roaring Wind CampMaiden Peak is reached either via the Obstruction Point trailhead, or via the Deer Park trailhead. Obstruction Point is only accessible via a beautiful and precipitous 8 mile gravel road that branches off of the Hurricane Ridge road. See the Obstruction Point page for more info on how to get there. Deer Park is a long and winding mostly dusty dirt road with no services whatsoever, but has the advantage of no fees to enter the park.
view from Obstruction Point direction just after Roaring Wind Camp on shoulder of peak (summit is middle hump)Maiden Peak is appr. 3.5 mile from the Obstruction Point trailhead, or 4 miles from the Deer Park trailhead, however the Deer Park route is probably less strenuous, given the amount of elevation loss required from Elk Mountain which would subsequently have to be regained. Coming from Obstruction Point, one simply needs to follow the signs that point towards Deer Park. You will pass Elk Mountain first, then after considerable elevation loss down to Roaring Winds Camp, another 1/2 mile and perhaps 600 feet of elevation regain lead to the summit. From the trail, the summit is a short class 2 scree scramble up to the top.
true summit hump as it first appears from the Deer Park direction (after traversing false summit hump), Elk Mt. is the long barren peak in the distanceFrom Deer Park, one first descends the ridge and crosses the several humps of forested Green Mountain. Entering a fairly flat grassy plain, the first peak one sees is actually a false eastern summit of Maiden Peak. Stay on the trail, traverse the false summit hump, and the next hump which then comes into view (see picture to the left) is the true summit. It is much less obvious from this direction. A loose but unexposed class 2 scramble leads shortly up to the top and views of the straight as well as the route ahead and behind.
Red Tape
Entrance fees to Olympic National Park run you $15 for a week or $30 for a year. Again, there is no fee required if you enter from the Deer Park road.
