Location: Olympic National Park, Washington
Distance: 1.5 Miles Out and Back Time: 1 Hour
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 200 Feet
Season: April-November (Road can often close in winter due to inclement weather)
Foot Traffic: Heavy
Date Hiked: Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Overview
Sol Duc Falls is a stunning, three tiered waterfall located in the lush, dense, overgrowth forests of Olympic National Park. Reached via a short and relatively easy 1.5 mile round trip hike that culminates with the 15 foot waterfall spilling over the mossy covered cliffs edge into the narrow canyon below.
One of the things that makes this waterfall so spectacular is how unusual and unique it is. The waterfall flows over the canyon walls that are separated by no more than five yards in spots. While the falls can make for a reasonable photograph, I personally find them much more aesthetically pleasing in person than in photos. This lush hike would be amazing even without the falls, but they put a cherry on the top of an already great trail. For those thirsting for more, the lovers lane trail is a great additional option. It continues past the falls and includes a lot more solitude (6 miles round trip).
Trail Description and My Story
After camping in Forks, my wife, daughter and I, packed up relatively early and made the hour drive to Sol Duc Falls. As this is a very short trail and beautiful area, there was plenty of traffic upon us arriving. Despite the parking area being almost full, the feeling on the trail didn’t necessarily reflect that in my opinion. The trail is incredibly straight forward and easy to follow. After passing through the beautiful moss and fern covered forest canopy we arrived at a cute shelter at about a half mile in.
The trail remains reasonably flat throughout, with a few bridge crossings scattered in periodically. To our surprise, our daughter, Scout, who was now 10 weeks old, stayed awake and attentive through the entirety of the hike.
It was awesome watching as all the sights and sounds of the forests peaked her interest.
Arriving at Sol Duc Falls
The sounds of Sol Duc Falls rushing over the cliffs edge greeted us at the .75 mile mark of the trail. A few vantage points of the falls are accessible here but it’s just up to interpretation as to which is best.
We watched as they fell about 15 feet in three separate tiers. Expect crowds here but the roar of the falls will typically drown out most of the background noise. For the most part, we felt pretty lucky to feel that the area was relatively quiet on this day. From the falls there is the option of continuing on to the more secluded lovers lane trail (6 miles total) as well. We decided to backtrack and made our way back to the parking lot to complete the 1.5 mile trail. We found the falls to be fabulous but even absent of them, this trail would be amazing.
Getting to Sol Duc Falls
Sol Duc Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98363
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Is this a fee area?
- Yes. This is a National Park fee area. A park pass must be displayed on your windshield. The passes are good for all trails inside Olympic National Park. $25 Pass (Good for 7 days) $50 Annual Pass (Olympic National Park) or an America the Beautiful Pass $80 (Good for 1 year to all National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas. The America the Beautiful Pass is by far the best option if you are visiting multiple parks throughout the year and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years. The following options are also offered by the National Park Service through the America the Beautiful Pass. Price are listed below.
- Annual: $80
- Senior Annual: $20
- Senior Lifetime: $80
- Military Lifetime: Free
- Medically Determined Permanent Disability: Free
- 4th Grader: Free. Yes, that is right. If you are a fourth grade student you can enter all the National Park entities for free for the entire fourth grade year along with all children under the age of 16 in the group and up to 3 accompanying adults or an entire car.
Are Pets Allowed?
- No, pets are not allowed on the Sol Duc Falls Trail
Are there toilets at the trailhead?
- Yes. There is a vault toilet adjacent to the trailhead.
Please recreate responsibly. Respect hikers, and all visitors and wildlife. Help make everyone’s experience better by keeping the nature experience as authentic as possible. Leave no trace and pack out everything that you pack in. Please remember that we are visitors and stewards of these special places. Help keep these places as wild as possible while not diminishing the outdoor experience of others.
