Maple Glade Rainforest Trail and Kestner Homestead Trail: Complete Guide

Not sure whether the Maple Glade Rainforest Trail or the Kestner Homestead Trail is worth adding to your Olympic National Park itinerary?

I get it. There are so many trails here, and it’s tough to know which ones will actually give you the scenery, history, and experience you’re after.

I’ve walked both and I’ll share exactly what to expect and how to make the most of your time. These two trails are short, close together, and wildly different: one takes you deep into a lush, mossy rainforest, while the other transports you to a preserved pioneer homestead frozen in time.

This is for anyone who wants a mix of nature and history without committing to an all-day hike. It’s perfect if you’re exploring the Quinault area and want something beautiful, easy, and memorable.

If you only have time for one, I’ll tell you which I’d choose – and why. But spoiler alert: the Maple Glade Rainforest Trail is so atmospheric, you might feel like you’ve stepped into a storybook.

In this guide, I’ll give you insider tips, what to expect, and a few little extras you won’t find in most write-ups.

Let’s get started.

Guided Tours of the Maple Glade Trail / Kestner Homestead Loop

If your time is limited and you want to visit the Lake Quinault area as a day trip from Seattle, then there is a good option for you.  This private Quinault Rainforest tour gives you the opportunity to do both these hikes and also visit the world’s largest spruce tree.

➡️ BOOK A FULL-DAY PRIVATE TOUR FROM SEATTLE TO LAKE QUINAULT & THE QUINAULT RAINFOREST

Maple Glade Rainforest Trail and Kestner Homestead Trail Details

Distance: 0.5 miles (Maple Glade Loop Only) | 1.3 miles (Kestner Homestead Loop)

Type: Loop

Elevation change: 16 – 30 feet

Time: 15 minutes (Maple Glade Loop Only) | 30 minutes (Kestner Homestead Loop)

Difficulty: East

Trailhead: Maple Glade Rain Forest Trailhead

Highlights: Temperate Rain Forest with maple trees and moss; Historic homestead/ farm

Fee: There is no special trail fee and you don’t pass through any entrance station to enter this section of Olympic National Park, so you can hike these trails for free.
However, if you are going to enter other sections of Olympic National Park like Sol Duc, Hoh Rain Forest and Hurricane Hill, you will to pay the Olympic National Park entrance fee.  You can buy it online or, if you are planning to visit more than just Olympic National Park this year (Mount Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park are both close), it can be great value to purchase an America The Beautiful pass.    

Open: Open year-round

Map of Kestner Homestead Trail + Maple Glade Loop Trail

You can use this fun map, which provides a nice visualization of the trail.  The trails are easy to follow and this is sufficient. 

However, if you’re going to be doing more hiking in Olympic National Park, it’s worth getting a National Geographic topographic hiking trails map of Olympic National Park before you go.

The Maple Glade Rainforest Trail and Kestner Homestead Trail Description

I’m describing these two trails together because the Maple Glade Loop is a small loop within the longer Kestner Homestead Loop.  I recommend doing both, as they are both easy and provide a nice combination of nature and history.

Maple Glade Rain Forest Loop

This easy 0.5 loop starts at the Quinault Ranger Station. The trailhead is across the parking lot from the ranger station.  

After a couple of minutes, you’ll come to a fork in the path.  You can go either direction.

If you go left, you’ll hike through the Maple Glade Loop first and then continue on to Kestner Homestead.  This is what I did, and I recommend it because I like that you experience the rain forest first and then see the historic homestead so you can really appreciate what the early settlers encountered when they first moved into the region.  

I’m describing the trail in this clockwise direction, but there is no problem is you prefer to go right and hike clockwise instead. 

You’ll soon find yourself surrounded by Big Leaf Maple trees.  These trees twist and turn seeking light.

These trees, along with the evergreen conifers, are covered in moss. There are hundreds of varieties of moss growing on tree trunks and draped over the twisted branches.

This creates a mystical, other-worldly environment to wander through and admire.

There are several areas that turn into swampy ponds after (the frequent) rain, but in late summer/ early fall, are often dried up and covered in lush grasses instead.

Enormous ferns are common at ground level, so whether you are looking up, down or all around, there is something to see and admire.

There are endless opportunities for photos and just to stop and admire the incredible beauty of this temperate rain forest.

When you come to an intersection, you have a choice.  To the right is the trail to Kestner Homestead.  To the left is the second half of the Maple Glade Loop.

If you are just hiking the Maple Glade Loop, go left.  If you want to also visit the Kestner Homestead, you can either complete the Maple Glade Loop and then double back over the first half of this loop to get back to this intersection OR skip the second half of the Maple Glade Lop and continue straight on to Kestner Homestead.

This is a personal decision. If time is limited, then go straight.  There are still many more maple trees and mounds of moss, but if you have more time, why not spend more time in this amazing place?

Kestner Homestead Loop

From the Maple Glade Loop Trail, the trail continues through similar landscape of magical trees, moss and ferns.

Look down to find banana slugs and through the trees, where you may see Roosevelt Elk.

After about half an hour/ 0.7 miles, you’ll emerge from the forest into the Kestner Homestead.

The Kestner Homestead Site is the oldest surviving settler-built homestead in the Quinault River Valley and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.   

The Kestners built their homestead on the northeast side of Lake Quinault because in addition to the forest, which provided building materials, the site also had a water supply. 

It took several years to clear the dense forest north of the Quinault River. The main buildings were built in 1897 and then rebuilt in 1900-1905 by Anton Kestner after their first home was demolished in a flood.

There’s a wooden farmhouse and several sheds and small outbuildings with wood shingled roofs.  

You can get a sense from the arrangement of the buildings, pasture and orchard how these early settlers organized their lives and how their difficult existence functioned in this remote area of the country in the last 19^th and early 20^th centuries. 

There are also pieces of abandoned, rusty farm equipment scattered around the property, plus (somewhat randomly) a bathtub sitting in a nearby field.  

The largest building is the barn.  Although the original barn was removed in 1997 because
of a powder post beetle infestation, a replacement 1/3 of the size was built in 2001 with materials salvaged from the original barn.

There are two of the three original pastures, plus a reasonably-sized fruit orchard.  It’s a very picturesque to place around and appreciate the life that these early homesteaders lived.

The Kestners had beef cattle, milk cows, sheep and work horses that grazed in the pastures
and forest. The land within the building cluster was used for kitchen and flower gardens and for raising chickens, geese, and pigs.

It was a hard life and the heavy rain that this area gets in winter caused the Quinault River and Kestner Creek to overflow almost every year beginning the first winter the Kestners were in the valley. 

The hard life proved to be too much in the end and it was abandoned in 1939 when the original Kestners died.

The loop trail continues for another 0.4 miles.  Head down the main farm road and across a modern bridge.

You’ll pass a boom gate then come to a junction with the road right in front of you.  

Take the path to the right. It passes some maple trees but mostly it’s fairly unexciting second growth forest.

The trail goes alongside Kestner Creek, but this can be dried up in late summer/ early fall.

About ten minutes after leaving the homestead, you’ll see the Quinault Ranger Station through the trees. This is the end of the trail.

What You Need To Take/ Wear on The Maple Glade and Kestner Homestead Loop

1. These trails are short, flat and well maintained, so you don’t need any special clothing other than comfortable walking shoes.   However, there can be muddy sections in winter, spring and through early summer.

Good quality waterproof hiking boots will really make a difference in the mud. If you need to get some, take a look at my Guide to Buying the Best Hiking Shoes/ Boots to help you know what to look for and get some recommendations.  My top pick is this pair of Salomon Gore-Tex boots.

2. This is a rain forest, so it can rain a lot.  I recommend taking a rain jacket and wearing layers that you can take off or put on depending on the weather, which can change throughout the day. If you need one, I like this Columbia rain jacket for men and this Little Donkey Andy rain jacket for women. 

3. There can be ticks and bugs, especially in spring and summer.  Although I’m not aware of any reports of Lyme Disease, bug spray is a good idea. I’m a fan of DEET-free insect repellent, as it’s better for the environment and your skin.  Get some here. 

4. You’ll definitely want to take a camera.  I love my GoPro HERO 12.  It is designed for travel.  It’s water resistant and durable and takes photos, video and even does streaming.  Check current prices on the GoPro HERO 12 here 

5. Check my list of essential things to take and wear on a day hike to make sure you have everything you need.

Tips for Hiking the Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail and Kestner Homestead Loop

‼️The loop to Kestner Homestead can be hiked in either direction. I prefer clockwise because then you visit Maple Glade first and get a real sense of the forest as it was before it was farmed, which helps you appreciate even more the task that early pioneers faced when turning the forest into farmland.

‼️There are often ranger-led hikes into Maple Glade from the Quinault Ranger Station.  These are a great introduction to the temperate rain forest. Check the NPS website for the dates of your visit.

‼️The light in Maple Glade is best early morning, when the sunlight makes the moss glow. 

‼️The trail is easy, but can be muddy in winter and spring.  If you’re hiking then, or after it has rained, a good pair of hiking shoes or boots will come in handy.

➡️ If you need to get some, take a look at my Guide to Buying the Best Hiking Shoes/ Boots to help you know what to look for and get some recommendations.  

‼️Because most of the annual precipitation is in winter, the rain forest can be a little dry looking by early fall.  There’s not much you can do about this other than to adjust your expectations or the timing of your trip.  Though even in September, it’s stunning. 

‼️Keep an eye out for animals. Banana slugs are around, but may be hidden if it’s been dry.  Roosevelt elk and deer are often seen in this area.  It’s also bear country, so stay aware.

‼️These hikes can be accessed along the Lake Quinault Loop Drive. 

➡️ Read my guide to this scenic drive for more information.

Travel Insurance for Olympic National Park

Even though these are easy hikes, you should definitely get travel insurance before your trip to Olympic National Park.  This can protect you against medical and emergency repatriation, as well as things like trip cancellation, loss and/ or theft of property, etc. 

➡️ A great insurance option is Travelex.  It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can choose the best travel insurance plan for your trip here or get a quote right now:

Enjoy the trails!

More Planning Resources for Olympic National Park

Do you have any tips for or questions about hiking the Maple Glade and Kestner Homestead Loop trail I’d love to hear about them.  Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more).

If you liked this article, Pin It to your Olympic National Park board! 

About the Author

James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.

He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.

Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for many of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, and other resources will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.

As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Newsweek, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.

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