Rica Canyon Trail sign
The Rica Canyon trail begins at the 3rd intersection up the main Elwha River Trail, about 1.1 miles out of the Whiskey Bend Trailhead. The first two junctions are both for a short side-loop trail called Elk Overlook, which is a nice viewpoint for Anderson Ranch, itself an off-trail day-hike. It’s easy to miss the Overlook return junction, heading up-trail, which makes a bit of a stealth reentry. The Rica spur-trail leads several hundred feet down-slope to the river at the downstream end of Geyser Valley (no geysers), where the Elwha makes a dramatic entry into Rica Canyon at a feature known as Goblins Gate, a narrow slot with vertical cliffs on both sides. This is where the river enters Rica Canyon. … cont’d >