#8 of 50 sights in Olympic
Sight · Olympic National Park
Three mineral pools, plus a cooler dip in the Sol Duc valley.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Olympic audio tourRecorded for this place
Sol Duc Hot Springs: Time for a Soak“You're approaching Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, where three mineral pools offer a soak in this forested valley.”
Plays as you drive up to Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is a seasonal lodge and pool complex in a forested river valley, reached by 12 miles of Sol Duc Hot Springs Road from U.S. 101. Its draw is a choice between three mineral pools and a separate freshwater swimming pool, with cabins and food on the same property. Pool visits run in timed 90-minute sessions, so plan the drive around a soak rather than expecting to drop in for just a few minutes.
The shallow wading pool is only 6–8 inches deep and about 99°F. The medium pool is roughly three feet deep and 104°F; the fountain pool is also about three feet deep and 101°F. The separate freshwater pool ranges from 50°F to 85°F, so it can be a real cool-down between hot pools. Those temperatures are approximate and the spring water fluctuates.
Children under four are limited to the wading pool and freshwater pool; the two deeper mineral pools are for ages four and up. The fountain and freshwater pools are wheelchair accessible.
Cabins and suites keep you close to the pools. The resort also has a restaurant and deli, snack bar, convenience store and gift shop, useful when you're staying in this remote valley. Lockers are available at the pools; bring a lock, and bring a towel or rent one.
Nearby Sol Duc Campground is a starting point for a 1.6-mile round trip to Sol Duc Falls. Pair the walk with a pool session if you want more than a quick soak; the waterfall is a separate destination from the pool complex.
Sol Duc's first hotel opened in 1912 and burned in 1916. A smaller resort returned in the 1920s, then the present complex was completely rebuilt in the 1980s. The resort you visit today reflects that later rebuild rather than the original hotel.
Wildlife
710 sightingsOlympic MarmotMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
30 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
71 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
306 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateMink Lake Trail5.2 mi · 4 hr · At the trailheadA steady forest climb to a small lake tucked into meadow.
ChallengingSol Duc River Trail16.8 mi · 12 hr · 1.6 mi awayA river climb that ends at Heart Lake and the High Divide.
ChallengingAppleton Pass Trail14.8 mi · 9 hr · 1.6 mi awayA long climb past Sol Duc Falls to a high mountain pass.
EasySol Duc Falls Nature Trail1.6 mi · 45 min · 1.6 mi awayOld-growth shade ends at a bridge over a roaring canyon.
ChallengingHigh Divide Loop (Seven Lakes Basin)19 mi · 12 hr · 1.6 mi awayA long ridge loop over a basin of eight alpine lakes.ModerateLover’s Lane Loop Trail6 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayA shaded river loop ends at a waterfall in old growth.
ModerateDeer Lake Trail7.6 mi · 5 hr · 1.6 mi awayA forest climb beside cascades ends at two nearby lakes.
EasyAncient Groves Nature Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · 3.1 mi awayA mossy forest loop with a much hillier tread than it looks.
Campground · 0.1 mi awaySol Duc Hot Springs RV Park and CampgroundCamp under old-growth trees, with Sol Duc Falls nearby.
Sight · 2.3 mi awaySol Duc FallsA 48-foot cascade drops through a narrow, rocky canyon.
Picnic area · 4.4 mi awayPicnic Area along Sol Duc RiverA picnic break beside the Sol Duc River.
Sight · 4.7 mi awaySalmon CascadesA short platform stop for the cascades and coho run.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
