Five days organized around water, quiet, and the backcountry
The Olympic Peninsula has two hot springs destinations separated by the park's interior: Sol Duc, surrounded by old-growth forest and operational since 1912; and Olympic Hot Springs, reached by a 2.5-mile hike along a closed road into the Elwha watershed. Add the Enchanted Valley — a remote backcountry meadow ringed by waterfalls — and the High Divide's alpine lakes, and you have the fullest version of what the park offers to those willing to earn it.
Season: Best May through October when Sol Duc Resort is open and the Enchanted Valley trail is snow-free. The High Divide is accessible July–September. Olympic Hot Springs is year-round but the road closure adds a 2.5-mile approach on foot or bike.
Temps: 62°F high / 42°F low
Packing: Pack for the backcountry on Days 3–4: bear canister required in the Enchanted Valley, wilderness permit required, water filter essential. Swimsuit and towel for both hot springs. Trekking poles recommended for the Enchanted Valley trail's river crossings.
Day 1: Elwha & Olympic Hot Springs
The Elwha River valley holds one of the great ecological recovery stories in American conservation — and at the head of a closed road, a series of free geothermal pools that reward the approach.
- 09:00 AM Elwha River Valley Drive-In — Drive Olympic Hot Springs Road into the Elwha watershed — one of the great ecological recovery drives in the national park system.
- 10:30 AM Olympic Hot Springs — Hike In — 2.5-mile walk or bike ride on the closed road to primitive geothermal pools along Boulder Creek.
- 04:00 PM Elwha Campground — Overnight — Camp in the Elwha Valley, one of the most significant river restoration sites in the country.
Day 2: Sol Duc Valley
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort has operated since 1912 in the valley of the 'sparkling water.' Geothermal pools in old-growth forest, a short walk from one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the park. Today is about rest.
- 10:00 AM Drive to Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort — 35 miles from Port Angeles into the Sol Duc valley — the last 12 miles on a winding forest road.
- 11:00 AM Check in — Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort — The most wellness-complete lodging in the park — geothermal pools steps from your room.
- 11:30 AM Sol Duc Hot Springs — Morning Soak — Three geothermal pools at 98–104°F, plus a freshwater pool for cooling.
- 01:30 PM Spa Massage — Sol Duc — Massage and bodywork at the resort — Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone available.
- 05:30 PM Sol Duc Falls — Golden Hour — 0.8 miles to the three-pronged falls at the end of the day, when the other hikers have left.
- 07:30 PM Dinner — Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Restaurant — On-site dinner at the resort — the most practical option after a spa day in the valley.
Day 3: High Divide Approach
The High Divide trail climbs from the Sol Duc valley to a ridge with unobstructed views of Mount Olympus's glaciers. The Seven Lakes Basin — a series of alpine lakes below the ridge — is among the most celebrated backcountry destinations in the Olympics. This is the first day of a two-day push into the interior.
- 07:00 AM Depart Sol Duc for High Divide Trailhead — Permit check-in at the Sol Duc Wilderness Permit kiosk before entering the backcountry.
- 08:00 AM Sol Duc River Trail → High Divide — 8 miles and 3,200 feet of gain from the Sol Duc valley to the High Divide ridge.
Day 4: High Divide Ridge & Return
Summit the ridge at dawn before the clouds build. The unobstructed views of Mount Olympus's glaciers from the High Divide are the defining visual experience of the park's interior.
- 05:30 AM Summit the High Divide Ridge at Dawn — 2 miles from camp to the ridge crest for first light on Mount Olympus's glaciers.
- 09:00 AM Breakfast at Camp & Pack Out — Final morning in the backcountry — eat, pack, and begin the return.
- 03:00 PM Return to Sol Duc Hot Springs — Post-backcountry soak — the pools earn a different meaning after the High Divide.
Day 5: A Slow Return
The last day is not for more effort. Lake Crescent in the morning, on the water, with the glacially blue clarity below the kayak — then Port Angeles for provisions and the drive home.
- 08:30 AM Lake Crescent Kayak — Morning paddle on glacially carved blue water before the afternoon winds build.
- 11:00 AM Port Angeles — Final Provisions — Lunch in Port Angeles before the drive south or east.
- 01:00 PM Departure — US-101 east to Port Townsend and the Edmonds ferry, or south to Olympia and I-5.
The peninsula gives itself in layers. The springs come first — the valley, the mineral water, the old-growth. Then the climb. Then the ridge. Then, coming back down, the same springs feel entirely different because you're different. That's what this place does.
Explore the full Olympic Peninsula guide or plan your own trip.