GMU 638 - Quinault Ridge, Washington

Extremely steep backcountry on the western flank of the Olympic Mountains. Three main ridgelines run southwest from Olympic National Park, separated by the Quinault River, West Fork Humptulips, East Fork Humptulips, and Big Creek drainages. Elevation spans 300 ft (valley bottoms) to 4,380 ft (Gibson Peak). Notable high points include Wooded Peak, Mount O'Neil, Colonel Bob, Moonlight Dome, and Stovepipe Mountain. Gibson Peak drops nearly 2,800 ft to Pete's Creek in under a mile. Approximately 80% of huntable terrain has slopes of 39 degrees or less, though much of the remainder is near-vertical. Hunters must be in excellent physical condition.

Access is primarily via South Shore Road and North Shore Road along Lake Quinault (Hwy 101 corridor), with logging road networks penetrating lower drainages on Olympic National Forest and private timber company lands. Key trailheads include West Fork Quinault, Graves Creek, Colonel Bob Trail (North Shore Road), and Humptulips drainage access off Forest Road 22. Some private timberland owners (notably Rayonier and other timber companies) restrict or charge fees for road access; hunters pursuing the Quality Elk special permit are advised to secure landowner permission before applying. The unit is largely roadless above 1,500 ft — most backcountry elk hunting requires 2-5 mile pack-ins.

Temperate rainforest dominated by old-growth Sitka spruce, western red cedar, western hemlock, and Douglas-fir with a dense understory of sword fern, oxalis, and vine maple. Heavy annual rainfall (100-170 inches at lower elevations) creates thick canopy and constant moisture. Elk and deer concentrate along riparian corridors and forest openings created by old clear-cuts and blowdown. Sound does not carry well through the timber, requiring close-range approach. The Colonel Bob Wilderness Area (USFS) is excluded from hunting within Elk Area 6064.

Roosevelt elk are year-round residents, not migratory in the traditional sense, but move elevationally with weather — retreating to lower drainages and riparian benches during rain and wind events, and pushing higher onto ridges during dry spells in September. Bulls are more territorial than Rocky Mountain elk; once located in thick timber, they tend to hold in a home range. Rut begins as early as the first week of September and can run 3-4 weeks. Black-tailed deer rut runs late October through late December, with bucks moving more actively in November. Bears are active spring through fall, concentrating on berry patches (huckleberry, salal, elderberry) in late summer and early fall before denning in November.

Elk hunting in Elk Area 6064 (the Quinault River watershed portion east of Gatton Creek and Lake Quinault, excluding USFS Colonel Bob Wilderness) is restricted to Master Hunter or AHE-certified hunters only, with a 3-point minimum bull requirement. A Quality Elk special permit (Hunt Choice 2043) offers just 3 permits for a September 26-30 rifle season; the draw averaged 276 applicants and 14 preference points as of 2025-2026, reflecting extreme pressure. The remainder of the unit outside Elk Area 6064 (Humptulips drainages) is open to general elk tags with the same 3-point minimum. Carry a GPS when hunting close to the Olympic National Park boundary — trespass into the park is a serious violation. Rain gear is essential; the unit receives among the highest precipitation in the contiguous US.