Devil's Punch Bowl Hike

The Devil's Punch Bowl at Olympic National Park near Piedmont, Washington is an easy 2.3-mile out-and-back hike that follows a mostly-flat trail out to the turquoise water along Lake Crescent known as the Devil's Punch Bowl.

Trails & Universal Accessibility

This hike follows the Spruce Railroad Trail, which is a paved, universally-accessible path. The Spruce Railroad Trail continues through a tunnel but does not lead directly to the Devil's Punch Bowl. The path that leads from the Spruce Railroad Trail out to the Devil's Punch Bowl is a dirt path and is not universally-accessible.

Hiking to the Devil's Punch Bowl

This hike begins at the northern trailhead for the Spruce Railroad Trail where visitors will find the paved, universally-accessible path that leads through a lush forest of moss-covered trees. The path initially crosses a couple of footbridges, passing swaths of horsetail plants before it heads uphill along a moderate-grade hill. While the entire hike should be considered easy, this small hill is certainly moderate for both hikers and wheelchair-users alike -- note the way back is even more steep on this little hill, so beware.

Hillside Waterfall - Mile 0.67

While most hikers would not consider this a waterfall, around mile 0.67 sits a hillside spring that cascades down sloped, rocky terrain at about 20-feet tall. While it's not a spectacular cascade, it's both a place you can filter water (if in desperate need) or, more importantly, stay clear of the swaths of mosquitos that hang out here during the early morning and late evening.

Lake Crescent Views - Mile 0.9

Around mile 0.9, hikers will reach a point in the trail where views of Crescent Lake become more abundant. These views come and go from here until you reach the Devil's Punch Bowl. For most hikers, the Punch Bowl is the view, but for folks who cannot venture off of the universally-accessible Spruce Railroad Trail, you can get great views of the lake's turquoise waters along its banks.

Turn to Devil's Punch Bowl - Mile 1.05

The last stretch of the hike in sits at mile 1.05 where you'll find a left-hand turn that leads to the Devil's Punch Bowl. Here, the Spruce Railroad Trail continues through the mountainside and passes through a dark tunnel, so the trail turns into a root-filled dirt path that undulates out to the punch bowl.

Devil's Punch Bowl - Mile 1.15

Hikers will finally reach the turquoise waters of the Devil's Punch Bowl around mile 1.15. A metal footbridge spans the water where you can walk across to enjoy the different perspectives and views of the punch bowl. From the punch bowl, you'll also find great views of Lake Crescent and its neighboring mountains. On this hike, we showed up at sunset and found twilight hues on the mountains and deep blue and turquoise hues in the Devil's Punch Bowl all while having the area all to ourselves.

Hiking Out - Mile 1.15 to 2.3

The hike out follows the opposite route that you hiked-in on. Follow the dirt path north to reach the paved surface of the Spruce Railroad Trail, then hike northwest to reach the trailhead. Along the way, you'll hit the moderate grade of the small hill you passed earlier.

Parking

Hikers will find parking near the coordinates provided, located along East Beach Road in Piedmont, Washington. The lot is large enough to fit about two dozen vehicles as of June 2025. Note that there's a private section of road located on East Beach Road, just beyond the parking area. Pay attention to signs and do not trespass down this road.

Pets

Dogs are allowed on this trail only if leashed and cleaned up after. The Spruce Railroad Trail is one of a few trails that dogs are allowed on in Olympic National Park. To learn more about where you're allowed to bring dogs, you can read the park's official website for more details.

Difficulty

Due to one short section of moderate elevation grade, some visitors may find this hike / trail moderate difficulty. Most average hikers will find this hike easy.