Twanoh State Park

Twanoh State Park, on Washington’s Hood Canal, offers a variety of gentle forested walks alongside or near babbling Twanoh Creek. Along the way, numerous benches offer ample opportunity to rest or simply sit and enjoy the forest; mileage markers will help you keep track of your distance.

Begin your exploration with a short walk to a kiosk where the trail forks. Here, a bridge to the left leads to the campground; you want to continue straight ahead. The route proceeds forward beneath tall cedar and maple, with sword ferns lining the way. Continue through another junction, where you’ll notice firs and hemlocks joining in the forested mix.

The trail gently ascends out of the ravine, then passes through tall, tunnel-like evergreen huckleberry. It becomes nearly flat and intersects with an old road at one mile. Travel right for another third of a mile to an overlook, then another 0.2 miles to a group campsite.

From here, keep right, following the marked signs back to the trail. Near the water tower, turn left and continue back on the trail. Peekaboo views of Hood Canal and the Tahuya Peninsula can be found through the madronas and rhododendrons as the trail begins descending back to the creek via a few switchbacks.

At two miles, reach a junction and turn left to return to the trailhead. If time allows, explore some of the historic Civilian Conservation Corps buildings constructed in the 1930s, or take a stroll along the saltwater shoreline.

WTA Pro Tip: Be on the lookout for springboard notches in the trees, which hearken back to the time when the land was logged in the 1890s before becoming a state park.