Rock Peak
WillhiteWeb.com
If you seek prominence peaks, Rock Peak is the king of the South Olympics. That said, the peak is about as much of a dumpster dive as you can get. Having some snow on the ground made it a bit more sporty but it was still a cakewalk. The terrain just before the summit requires pulling yourself up with branches, but nothing too crazy. Since there are no good views, this makes for a good visit during a foul weather day.
Elevation: 3,362 feet
Hiking Distance: Anywhere from 0.5 to 2 miles depending on road.
Elevation Gain: 500 feet or so
Prominence: 2,059 feet
Route:
I left the road (shown on maps) finding minimal bush up to the ridge. Following the south side of ridge is in open mature forest going under the NE Peak. The NW peak is higher and has a bit of easy brush to deal with, including steep forested terrain.
Road Access:
It seems the final mile or two is no longer being maintained. This may just be temporary but a landslide and brush are making most people stop short from driving just under the peak. Also, FR 2352 had some serious ruts in 2024 near the beginning just a bit after it leaves FR 2351.
Marked with the yellow and black dot, Rock Peak is the only 2000 plus prominent peak in the southern Olympics.
This is the route I took but there are two other options.
Walking up the road when snow covered.
Views from the road.
Summit area.
Getting close to the summit.
Looking back at the NE peak while climbing up to the summit.