Viewing Elk at Dosewallips State Park

The fog was thick in the morning, the tide was low, and a a beached boat appeared like a ghostly apparition above the fog.

The bird of the morning was a seagull, in the tidepools in abundance, and an occasional great blue heron made an appearance. I thought the foggy overcast might make for a good photo — but this was not the case.

But farther in, there was a larger group of wanderers much easier to see in the fog — I’d found the elk I’d heard live in abundance in Brinnon in or near Dosewallips State Park.

If you camp and the park, and hike around the area, you’ll likely find them at some point — they may be in any of several locations. Family recently visited and found them closer in to the camping area. But they are not, of course, always in the same spot.

A fellow visitor to the north tidal trail — the area where I found the elk the day I visited — told me one of the signs in the park make a 22-day circuit around the area. ((I did not see this purported sign myself, and so far have not verify this. I’ll update the post if and when I do.))

It’s important, if you visit, to keep your distance from the elk. Elk can run at speeds up to 45 mph ((Source: Speed of Animals)) and you don’t want to get in their way if they decide to stampede!

The north tidal area trail is a good bet if you’re looking for the elk — or for bird watching. The best bet is to go at low tide when you can walk out much farther. There’s also an observation platform which was a great place to allow the elk to come closer to me safely. ((Though the video was taken from the platform and I think that the “bounce” of the wood may have had something to do with the camera shake as it was on a tripod!))

The map below is a static image of the interactive map of the observation platform locations. To access it, click here or on the map image below.

For other common elk viewing locations added by our visitors (or us, at some time after this post), you can click here. If you would like to add a common elk viewing location, you can do so here, but you must be registered and logged in to do so.

I returned, later, when the fog had lifted and found the elk still in the field and more active. Three magnificent bulls — the largest of which appeared to have a tracking collar — and a number of cows and calves.

Other Things to Do Near Dosewallips

You can, of course, camp at Dosewallips. Overall, the campground is pretty decent, and I was impressed by the cleanliness and privacy of the restroom there.

You can easily access and walk along the river from the campground, and there’s a 2.5 mile loop called the Maple Valley loop which you can also access from the campground that takes you through trail areas that were where the old “Steam Donkey” — an old steam-powered winch for logging — used to run.

Not too far away, if you head up Dosewallips Road, you can visit Rocky Brook Falls. This is a lovely waterfall not too far off the road that you might not even know is there. The little trail that goes to it is behind a small hydroelectric building. There’s a pool at the bottom of the falls where, in Summer months, some people climb in to take a dip! But to do so, you’ll have to clamber over some rocks.

During my recent visit, I also took a detour (to escape the morning fog) up Mt. Walker, not too far a drive away. It’s up a dirt road which, at some points, are narrow, but you’re rewarded with some stunning views of Seattle (on days that aren’t cloudy) and of Mt. Rainier.