See the mules who fix trails at Olympic National Park

How do you take care of Olympic National Park backcountry trails—without motorized equipment? Send some mules!

Every spring near the Madison Falls trailhead at Olympic National Park, the trail crew mules return to their summer corrals. Over the course of a trail work season (April to October) the park mules carry almost 70,000 lbs of gear and travel over 1500 miles. Yikes!

The park service asks that you keep pets under control, and please don’t reach through the fence to pet or feed them.

The mules haven’t always bunked by the Elwha. Some years back they busted loose from their pasture in Sequim and traveled 8 miles in and around town.

I was lucky this last spring. On a cool evening, an elk herd wandered into the valley next to the mules. Quite a sight!