Mount Stone is located in the south eastern corner of the Olympic National Park. Its neighbors include Pershing, Bretherton, and Skokomish. Sone lies immediately north of the Hamma Hamma River River Road (FS road 25) which is also the location of the normal trailhead for climbing Stone. Though the summit (and the two prominent subsummits) lies within the boundaries of the national park, much of its southern flanks lie within the Mount Skokomish Wilderness area. There are three summits on Stone: South (main, 6612 feet), Middle (c. 6600 feet), and North (6400 feet). The first two have class 3 routes to their respective tops; the North summit has a class 2 route. Stone can easily be climbed car-to-car in a day from the Hamma Hamma River Road or can be combined into a pleasant overnight outing along with the climb of the nearby Mt. Skokomish.

This information was provided by rfbolton:
Mt. Stone is the highpoint of Mason County. It is one of 11 county highpoints in Washington that requires over 5,000 feet of elevation gain to reach the summit by the easiest route. Washington has more county highpoints in this category than any other lower 48 state. At 2,132 feet of topographic prominence, Mt. Stone is the 118th most prominent peak in Washington.

Getting There

From Hoodsport, WA drive US highway 101 north for 13.5 miles to the signed turn off (left) for the Hamma Hamma River Road (FS road 25). Take FS road 25 for about 11.5 miles from US 101. The road is paved part of the way (past the trailhead for The Brothers route) but the dirt portion is well maintained and easily passable by low clearance vehicles. Keep an eye out for a historical marker (on the right hand side, Putvin's grave). You should see an unmarked trailhead parking (road becomes wider) on the left side of the road immediately past the sign. The starting point for the hike in is on the right side of the road - look for the "Putvin Trail" sign.

Red Tape

The North West Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead ($5/day or $30/year).

Additionally, if you're planning on camping within the national park, a backcountry permit is required. See the "Mountain Conditions" section below for details on obtaining one.

Note that some of the national park rules (no weapons, no pets, no bicycles) apply to the section of the Putvin Trail not only within the national park but also within the Mount Skokomish Wilderness area.

When To Climb

"Normal climbing season" - July through September - offers the most stable weather. Early season and winter climbs will obviously be made more difficult by the snow-closures of the Hamma Hamma River Road (trailhead is at approximately 1500 - 2000 feet).

Camping

A backcountry camping permit is required for all overnight stays within the Olympic National Park. Contact the Wilderness Information Center (see above) regarding permits.

Mountain Conditions

Contact the Olympic National Park Wilderness Information Center (WIC) in Port Angeles, WA at 360-565-3100. You can also visit their (fairly good for NPS) website: WIC website . The rangers there are very helpful and usually well-informed as to trail conditions etc. Note that some but not all areas within ONP are subject to camping quotas. The rangers readily accept reservations.

Guidebook

The only known guidebook to list Mount Stone is the Climber's Guide to the Olympic Mountains. It discusses three possible summit routes as well as routes for the two subsummits. The descriptions are brief but fairly accurate (for the most part). The book also has a 3D projection sketch of Stone and vicinity.

External Links

Eric's Base Camp
This is an EXCELLENT (and constantly growing) collection of climb reports for many of Washington's mountains (and others). An early season climb of Mt. Stone is described here. This is also where I got the idea of climbing Stone in the first place.
Climb Photos
A nice collection of Mt. Stone climb photos (via standard route).

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