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The Sol Duc Valley in Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Washington, features a historic resort, hiking trails, and an incredible natural phenomenon. The main feature running through it is the Sol Duc River. We visited the area after checking out Lake Crescent.
Salmon Cascades
Our first stop was the most enjoyable. We pulled over at Salmon Cascades and walked to a small structure overlooking the Sol Duc River. In October and November, coho salmon swim upstream on their way to spawn. Steelhead and cutthroat trout as well as sockeye and chinook salmon also spawn in the river.
At first, we couldn’t see anything from the structure. We realized all the action was a few steps down to the right of it. We witnessed the fish trying to jump over the falls, some successfully and many others being pushed back by the force of the water.
Even further down, we could see the fish using the rocks on the banks of the river to slither their way closer before attempting to leap. This is something we will never forget.
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort
Next, we made a quick stop at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort for a hot chocolate. While the original structure no longer exists, it dates back to 1910 when Michael Earles began attracting visitors to the natural hot springs. The resort was considered one of the finest on the west coast and attracted up to 10,000 guests every summer. Unfortunately, in 1916 a mishap with a fireplace caused a massive fire on the cedar roof and burnt it to the ground.
The resort was rebuilt in the 1920s but on a less elegant scale. It operated until the 1970s, and was again rebuilt in the 1980s.
Sol Duc Falls
Our final activity of the day was a hike to Sol Duc Falls. The trail is just under a mile long through a forest.
Our favorite part of the trail was at a small wooden bridge, where the scenery into the forest is breathtaking. The bridge crosses over a small creek with water flowing over moss-covered rocks as tall trees stand above. It’s one of my favorite scenes in the entire park.
Continuing along the trail, we walked through the forest and crossed a bridge over the Sol Duc River to the viewing platform for the falls. We had to leap over a few deep puddles to cross the bridge.
Finally, we were able to get a look at the falls. The force of the water was incredible, and I’m not sure if it’s always so strong or if it was because of the recent rains.
