The Sol Duc Valley is a gorgeous destination to RV camp in the Olympic National Forest, located just outside of Port Angeles and Forks. Sol Duc is a popular spot to camp, and is most well known as a great spot to watch salmon swim upstream to spawn as well as for the natural hot springs.

RV accommodations can be found at both the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and the Sol Duc Campground. The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is the home of the famous hot springs pools, as the name implies. The resort offers cabins, RV camping sites, tent camping sites, restaurant, gift shop, swimming pool, and the hot mineral soaking pools. It is best to make a reservation far in advance due to the popularity of the resort, and the RV park in this location is only open in the summer. Sol Duc campground is a bit more rustic for those wanting to get out in nature. It offers picnic tables, fire pits, animal proof food storage lockers, accessible restrooms, portable water, and an RV dump station. The Sol Duc Campground is open year round, but only has access to primitive pit toilets and no access to water from November to early April.

There are many great hikes to take advantage of in the Sol Duc Valley, but be aware that pets and bikes are not permitted on the trails.

The Sol Duc falls trail is one of the most popular; it is just under a mile one way with old growth forest leading up to the cascading waterfall. It is a great hike for the whole family. Be sure to keep an eye on children near the falls as footing can get slippery and the falls can be dangerous when you get too close.

  • Lover’s Lane links from the resort to the falls and is a 6 mile loop when you combine the falls trail and campground trail.
  • Ancient Groves is a self-guided nature trail through the old growth forest.
  • Mink Lake Trail climbs through thick forest to end up at Mink Lake with a 1500 foot elevation gain and distance of 2.6 miles one way.
  • Deer Lake Trail brings you through dense forest to end up at Deer Lake with a 1700 foot elevation gain and distance of 3.8 miles one way.

Interested in watching the famous coho salmon? You can catch them leaping through the Sol Duc waters of Salmon Cascades in the late summer and fall. Salmon return to their place of birth in the Sol Duc river to complete their life cycle. The more popular leaping and jumping through the water to make their way upstream happens in late summer and spawning happens in the fall. Take a stroll through the Lover’s Lane trail and you may discover a pair of salmon spawning.

Ready to start planning your trip to the Sol Duc Valley, to rest and relax in the hot springs or be wowed by the amazing local salmon? We can help you find the perfect RV rental for your trip. Please feel free to browse our website or contact us anytime. NW Adventure Rentals has two luxurious fleets of motorhomes and travel trailers, conveniently located in the Pacific Northwest at our Seattle location. Let us help you have a great outdoor vacation!

Image by David Fulmer Flickr