Hiking Sol Duc ONP with Friends!

I recently went for a mid-week hike in Olympic National Park with my friend Amy Miller. She suggested Sol Duc Falls' Lovers Lane as a great option for someone's first hike in the park (can you believe this is my first outing in the ONP??). This trail has a lot going for it:

• it's a good length at approx. 6 miles;

• it's a beautiful loop around a section of the Sol Duc River beginning with the Falls; and,

• it has the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort on it for a dip afterward!

Amy offered to drive (so grateful!). I love to be the passenger and take in the scenery! Plus, I am not a great mountain driver having grown up in Texas. Amy was raised in CO and is a natural. Sol Duc Falls is one hour from Port Angeles on Hwy 101 (eventual left off the highway onto Sol Duc Road). We had a late start that morning, but fortunately it was mid-week so it wasn't terribly crowded. Even so, parking extended down the road a good ways from the lot by the time we arrived. The trail was crowded with summer break families until the falls, then it quickly tapered down to quasi-nil for the remainder of the loop.

This is a great hike to go one with friends! Six miles of hiking allows a lot of time to chat and get to know one another better. Walking and talking go together like peanut butter and jelly—which would make for a great hike snack! The resort has tables and chairs you can sit at and enjoy your hike snacks together. We returned to the resort after our hike for a swim and soak. Perfect day trip—highly recommend!