Sol Duc Falls is a 48-foot waterfall on the Sol Duc River in Clallam County, Washington, inside Olympic National Park.
The falls
Depending on flow, the river splits into as many as four channels before plunging 37 feet sideways into a narrow canyon, then dropping another 11 feet through a flume, for a surveyed total of 48 feet. The river is snow-fed, and the approach to the falls passes through forest.
Getting there
The trail begins at the parking lot at the end of Sol Duc Road, itself a paved 14-mile drive from Highway 101. The walk to the falls is 0.8 mile one way and relatively level, with 200 feet of elevation gain. Entrance to Olympic National Park costs $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, or $15 per pedestrian or cyclist age 16 and up; an Olympic annual pass or a federal interagency annual pass is also accepted, and payment is cashless. One hiking guide states the trail is not wheelchair accessible. Sol Duc Road typically closes to vehicles at the park boundary from late October to mid-March, weather permitting.
When to go
Flow is best from March through July. A trail report from June 2026 found only minor storm damage on the Sol Duc River Trail beyond the falls, with the Deer Lake Trail clear as far as Deer Lake.
On site
Pets and bicycles are not allowed on Sol Duc area trails, and children need close supervision at the falls. In June 2025, an 18-year-old slipped from rocks above the falls and went into the narrow, 7- to 8-foot-wide canyon; the body was located the next day, and the area was temporarily closed while the park attempted a recovery that high snowmelt flows made unsuccessful.
History and name
The name comes from a Quillayute word translated as magic waters. Earlier records spelled it Solduck and Soleduck, and an 1910 photograph labeled the falls Medina Falls; the current spelling, Sol Duc, was adopted in 1991.
Nearby
Lover's Lane Falls is about 0.3 mile away, Lower Canyon Creek Falls about 0.4 mile, and Middle Canyon Creek Falls about 1.2 miles.
Distances are straight-line.