sol duc falls

Though it was a long drive off the highway, the hike to the Sol Duc Falls was lovely and certainly worth the drive to get there! Hiking through the lush forest, across little bridges and a smaller falls, it is a really beautiful area. We visited in May and the falls were spectacular!

Haven't seen this kind of green in years, really rain forest style with the heat and moisture, but worth it for the short trail, really create a scene as in Amazon, with all kinds of bugs though. At the end of the trail appears the big fall, we saw 2 rainbows that day, nice and finally cooler compare with in the forest. several creeks on the way to the Fall. great places for photo shooting

It's an easy 2 mile round-trip to the Falls and its scenic throughout. There are plenty of moss covered rocks and gushing streams adding to the beauty of the rain forest. You can hear the thunder of the Sol Duc Falls from a distance: we were surprised at the force of the water! We went there on a sunny afternoon and at an angle and could see a double rainbow appear above the falls. That definitely added to the beauty of the falls (Not sure if this happens at all times of the day).

Easy to follow trails out to the falls and it looks like the bridges and walkways over small streams are a new addition. The sun goes down quick behind the mountain so plan accordingly. The forest is full of animals and you don't want to be out there at night.The falls are beautiful, very swift and loud. The forest is much cooler so dress appropriately.

A very easy 3/4 mile hike among the trees and stream and a waterfall of approximately 100 foot or more. In October there was a lot of water but I am sure May & June the falls would be even more spectacular

Nice little hike to beautiful waterfallThe Sol Duc waterfall in Olympic National Park is a just an easy 0.8 mile hike (each way) through a forest. Although there is a little up and down they are quite minor and an easy walk. From the parking lot, as you hike the 0.8 miles you will gain 200 ft in elevation which isn’t very much. The hike takes you through a shady forest with some areas having hanging moss similar to the Hoh Rain Forest Loop Trail. As you go you will cross a few burbling brooks. There are wooden trail bridges at those crossings so you don’t have to worry about getting your feet wet. Just a wee bit before you get to the falls, you will pass a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) log hut that is used by backpackers for shelter. From here you can hear the falls which are only a very short distance farther on.The falls are sideways in relation to the direction of the river which is a bit unusual. In other words they go over the side edge of a deep narrow slot canyon. The trail you’re on approaches from the top of the falls and there is a wooden bridge over the canyon the water falls into. This bridge is sometimes damp so watch your step. The best view is from this bridge. If you continue to the other side of the bridge there are additional viewing areas where you’re looking at the falls - head on - across a quite narrow canyon (20-30 feet I’m guessing). The falls are quite magnificent as the water splits into 3 channels just before it goes over the falls. We’re not talking exceptionally tall here (40 ft), or exceptionally high volume, but it is ranked as the most photogenic falls in Washington state and is also a contender in many nationwide water fall surveys.PHOTOGRAPHING SOL DUC FALLSWe got to the falls a bit after 4:00 pm (early September) which was a couple of hours before sunset. Most of the area at the falls at this time was in full shade with a few spots of dappled sunlight finding a path through the forest canopy making the dynamic range well within the camera’s capability. It was also not so dark as to require a high ISO. For faster shutter speed shots used to “freeze” the waterfall, I was able to shoot at 1/100 sec, ISO 200, f/4.0. If your lens only goes down to f/5.6 as most kit lenses do these days, then raise your ISO to 400. However, with waterfalls, I find that “freezing the action” is not as good a look as letting the water blur a little. So, having a tripod with me, I was usually shooting at 1/4 to 1/10 sec which allowed me to get the motion blur I wanted while still using ISO’s of 200 or less and f-stops in the f/8.0 to f/11 range.If you found this information useful in your decision making process, you gleaned information you may not have otherwise discovered, or you just enjoyed reading it and appreciate the time I put into writing it, please give me a "helpful" vote. You’re welcome to contact me through danhartfordphoto dot com (where you can see photos of my travels) or through the “Ask Caifdan69 about .........” button at the bottom of this review

From Hwy 101 its about 15 mi to the trailhead (2 mi beyond the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort). Along the way, the Salmon Cascades stop is a very short walk to the overlook of these cascades. Didn't see any salmon jumping, but a nice view anyway. The trail to Sol Duc Falls is 0.8 mi and relatively flat. Although the trees aren't as big nor the moss as prevalent, the scenery bears some resemblance to that in the Hoh Rain Forest. Once you cross the bridge, there are several platforms providing nice views of the 3 cascades that make up Sol Duc Falls. Beautiful!.

Easy hike well worth the effort. Can get some great pictures here.Looks different at different times of day.

The falls still roared, but I wondered what it would be like with a normal rainfall year, rather than the drier year this summer. That would be worth another trip to see.

The perfect after lunch hike. The trail was lightly used when we were on it so it was almost like being alone in the woods. The trail is well maintained, and we enjoyed being in the forest and the falls was worth the walk.

Sol Duc Falls, in Olympic National Park, is about a 1 mile walk from the trailhead. The walk itself is through a wonderland of old growth forest. More colors of green than you ever thought existed are on this gentle path. Giant ferns, moss covered trees, streams and profound quiet can be found in this forest. The falls run fairly well even in low season, when this photograph was taken. This is the view from the forest on the other side of the falls; more commonly you see images from the bridge which crosses immediately downstream of the falls. Other trails continue or loop back on the other side of the river from here, but this destination is just fine.

A great choice in Olympic National park for a reasonably easy hike. Very scenic walk, and beautiful falls when you reach the end. Definitely recommend this trail if you visit the park.

Make sure the sun will be in the right position for your visit, and just go! Pro Tip: Have someone in your party wear a read sweatshirt or jacket and have them stand on the bridge when you photograph the falls, the rainbow and bridge - that way you’ll get a person in the shot for scale, and the red looks great in that scene.

We went to Sol Duc just to see the resort and the falls. The resort looks clean, smells of sulfur, the pools look like normal pools. We did not stay there so that is as much as I can say on that. The hike though was one of the most beautiful. We liked it better than the Hoh. The hike was only .8 miles one way not to hard, the falls were beautiful the hole area just beautiful. The first little hike we went on before , just as you enter, there is a river and the salmon swim here. We were lucky to see some. I would defiantly hike here again.

The hike to Sol Duc Falls is an easy mile. It was just right for our 6 year old. The trail is pretty and interesting, and once you get to the falls you can dip your toes in. Very nice hike for anyone.