Sol Duc Falls — Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast

One of my other passions along with hiking is running. Specifically trail running. Yes I know this is a hiking site but I will report on a trail. This weekend was the last weekend for the Sol Duc Hot Springs resort and I decided since I am out on the Oly Pen this weekend that I should head on up there. I could not just go sit in the hot spring pools without doing something in the exercise arena first. Hence my running the Lovers Lane loop that goes from the resort on one side of the river to the Sol Duc falls and then back to the resort on the other side of the river (6 miles round trip, there is some elevation but it is minimal). My preference is the campground side of this trail up to the falls and today I decided not to do the loop but just enjoy an out and back. The trail was in fine shape, especially for this time of year. There is some water, some mud and quite a bit of roots and rocks as well as three blow downs but no problem getting around them. Whether you are hiking, walking or running you do need to watch your footing. I enjoyed the Sol Duc falls which were quite spectacular for a couple of minutes and then headed back for some soaking in the natural hot springs. It was a great day. There were some hikers on the trail and everyone I passed seemed to be enjoying themselves, the scenery and nice weather. It really is a very beautiful trail which I would recommend. There are lots of huge fir trees, fall colors and an added bonus of being able to hear the river a lot of the way. Happy hiking…