Parking
Use the small North Fork Trailhead pullout on Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, with room for about six vehicles. The signed trail starts across the road.
Overview
About North Fork Sol Duc River Trail to Second Ford
Why go
- Pools and cascades appear early, just beyond the first ford.
- The second ford gives day hikers a clear turnaround point.
Heads up
- The first river crossing is unbridged and can be hazardous in high water.
- A long approach, rough tread, and additional stream crossings make for a demanding day.
This is a 12.5-mile out-and-back from North Fork Trailhead on Sol Duc Hot Springs Road to the second ford of a North Fork tributary. The trail climbs over a low ridge, drops into a mossy ravine, then alternates between streamside flats and forest above the river. It is a long, remote walk with unbridged crossings, not a casual river stroll. Allow about seven hours, and start only when crossing conditions are safe. The usual season is June through October, depending on river levels.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation1,490–2,605 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
6 active Olympic alerts
- CautionUS 101 Hoh River Bridge reduced to one laneUS 101 at the Hoh River Bridge is restricted to one lane of alternating traffic; obey the signals and 25 mph speed limit.Official details
- ClosureStaircase wilderness trails and campsites remain closedWilderness trails and campsites around Staircase remain closed during recovery from the Bear Gulch Fire; the developed Staircase area, including the Rapids Loop, campground, and ranger station, is…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Your drive to North Fork Sol Duc River Trail to Second Ford, narrated.
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 trailhead
North Fork Sol Duc: A Wilderness River Hike0:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing the North Fork Sol Duc trailhead, for a remote forest hike with river pools and small cascades. The walk to the second ford and back is twelve and a half miles; allow about seven hours.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Ancient Groves: A Short, Hilly Loop
- Sol Duc Riverside Picnic Area
- Salmon Cascades: Watch the River Ledges
- Sol Duc River View: A Picnic Above the Water
- 204 audio storiesacross Olympic’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Olympic Marmot, Humpback Whale, Grey Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 148 trails, 94 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking North Fork Sol Duc River Trail to Second Ford
The first river crossingThe trail climbs through hemlock and fir, crests a low ridge around half a mile in, then drops…
The trail climbs through hemlock and fir, crests a low ridge around half a mile in, then drops into a mossy ravine with devil’s club and a giant Douglas-fir. At about 1 mile, you reach the first ford of the North Fork Sol Duc. It is unbridged; hikers often find the best crossing just downstream. Beyond it, the valley opens into a flat with Sitka spruce and bigleaf maples draped in moss and licorice fern.
At 1.4 miles, rocky banks frame pools and small cascades with forested ridges beyond. This is the clearest early payoff. Leave a little riverbank in a photo so the pools read as part of the wider valley rather than isolated rocks.
Flats, old forest, and the second fordAround 2.
Around 2.3 miles, the route reaches grassy flats and two established campsites; one looks over the river. At about 3.3 miles, the trail climbs to a bench above the water beneath old-growth Douglas-fir and hemlock. Cut logs form a passage through blowdown, and side streams can be tricky early in the season.
The second ford, about 6.3 miles from the trailhead, is a common turnaround for day hikers. The route shown here ends at that crossing and returns the same way. Expect a few rough stretches and keep enough time and energy for the walk back.
The longer shelter tripThe trail continues beyond the second ford toward the North Fork Sol Duc Shelter, about 9 miles…
The trail continues beyond the second ford toward the North Fork Sol Duc Shelter, about 9 miles from the trailhead. That is a substantially longer wilderness trip: several more crossings follow, and the last three miles can be difficult to follow. The shelter is a historic backcountry stop, but this mapped route does not include that uncertain extension. If you plan to continue or camp overnight, check current route conditions with the Wilderness Information Center, carry map-and-compass navigation skills, obtain the required wilderness permit, and bring a bear canister.
Access and waterPark in the small roadside pullout at North Fork Trailhead on Sol Duc Hot Springs Road; the…
Park in the small roadside pullout at North Fork Trailhead on Sol Duc Hot Springs Road; the signed trail begins across the road. The pullout holds about six vehicles. There are no food services along this route. The river and streams are natural water sources, so filter, boil, or chemically treat anything you drink.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Olympic
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.
