High Divid, Olympic National Park

 

Mount Olympus from High Divide, Olympic National Park

High Divide is one of the most popular hikes/backpacks in Olympic National Park.  Whether day hiking the loop trip (easily done in a day for experienced hikers) or backpacking with camps at Seven Lakes Basin or Heart Lake.

A trip into this area offers so much beauty for the adventurer willing to put the distance in.  Summer offers meadows of flowers, while fall offers vibrant fall foliage of reds, oranges and yellows.  You really can't go wrong on when you visit. Oh, and the wildlife!  Your chances of seeing bears, deer, marmots and more are quite high.

Both camping areas mentioned above a beautiful and prime destinations.  If planning your trip for photography on the ridge, I would recommend giving the nod to Heart Lake or a campsite on the ridge (dry).  Seven Lakes Basin still works, it's just that your hike back to camp in the dark (assuming you are staying for sunset) will be a bit longer.  Still, Seven Lakes Basin is beautiful...

For the image above, Seven Lakes Basin was my place of stay as a last-minute permit became available.  The opportunity to visit this high ridge to both view and photograph Mount Olympus was exciting! And I was not disappointed.

I'm happy to share that this image was recently licensed for worldwide use for print cards.

To see more images from this fantastic area, feel free to visit my Olympic Gallery.

Hope to see you on the trail in 2023!