Grisdale Hill by High Steel Bridge via Hood Canal / 格里斯戴爾山丘

  • Reading time:6 mins read

Grisdale Hill lies west of Hood Canal above High Steel Bridge. Five miles to the north spans Lake Cushman beside Dow Mountain. Meanwhile, Vincent Creek flows north into the Skokomish River, forming the famous falls.

Grisdale Hill from High Steel Bridge
Grisdale Hill from High Steel Bridge

See more trip photos here.

Grisdale Hill at a Glance

Access: NF-2340
Round Trip: 4.5 miles
Elevation Range: 700′-1511′
Gear: none
Route Info: Eric Willhite
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Ethereal

Camp 3 of Mason County

I’m no history buff, but reading others’ detailed historical findings is always fascinating. At first glance, this modest hill doesn’t appear to have much backstory. But that was until I came across Eric’s discoveries of the former lookout.

Camp 3, a former logging camp, sat east of the now-gated entrance. Even more fascinating is that the Grisdale Lookout (Hill) once looked down at the camp. Funny, since nowadays, there isn’t much to see on top except trees.

Roadside attraction
Roadside attraction

See more trip photos here.

Through Vincent Creek

Surprise! Green Diamond also manages this logging area, allowing foot traffic. There was no more water once we crossed Vincent Creek past the gate. The road offered mainly tree views plus a small quarry south of the summit.

Snow appeared above 1200′, with more at the fork below the top. Then, it was dry in the trees until the several inches on the summit. Like many former lookouts, the hill had also seen its heyday and held little to no views.

Northwest panorama from Grisdale Hill
Northwest panorama from Grisdale Hill

See more trip photos here.

Grisdale Hill Summit Plus High Steel Bridge

I stood on my toes and barely saw South Mountain through the dense trees. So we returned to the clearing by the fork for the rest of the visit. The expansive Skokomish River Valley gave views of many unfamiliar peaks.

We later checked out Vincent Creek Falls below High Steel Bridge; quite impressive! Then we went north on the main road, hoping to visit Dennie Ahl Hill. But the blockade before Frigid Creek kept us from continuing.

We also tried reaching the hill from the west via Brown Creek Campground. But higher up, the logging debris over the steep gravel mixed with mud made me nervous. So we shall return after spring in decent weather.

Vincent Creek Falls from High Steel Bridge
Vincent Creek Falls from High Steel Bridge

See more trip photos here.

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