This is a short series on my backpacking trip on the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin in Olympic National Park.
If you are reading this post in its entirety on any website other than musthikemusteat.com, it was stolen without permission.
For my final day of the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin loop, I was up the earliest of all four days. I woke at 4:30am before my alarm and was walking out by 5:10 with a headlamp on the relatively flat Sol Duc River Trail. I opted to not make breakfast and just eat a snack bar, saving a real meal for my return to the trailhead.
I reached the junction with Sol Duc Falls by 6:15am and realized I would have the falls all to myself so I took advantage and cut back over the bridge to the other side of the river. If you have ever visited here, you know that it typically is crawling with people enjoying the famous cascading waterfall.
Nobody!!
There was not quite enough light for my poor iPhone to capture the falls when I first got there but as the sun rose and more light filtered into the forest, my pictures improved.
I wondered a bit back towards the direction of the Sol Duc campsites and admired the Sol Duc before it rolls over and into the steeply walled canyon. It was easy to see how popular this area is by how worn the soil and roots were.
There are a few more viewing points that offered different perspectives of the waterfall, all with nice safe rails. Always, always stay behind the rails and off slippery rocks around waterfalls. It is not uncommon to hear about someone not heeding this advice with a tragic end.
About 30 minutes later, hikers began to make their way in from the trailhead and I took that as my cue to finish my trek out.
I took another stop at the Canyon Creek Shelter, taking time to actually go up and look inside. I thought there might be some nice history signage but it was mostly about respecting the cabin and Leave No Trace. I read later that the shelter benefitted from renovation efforts in 2011:
Project work included assessing structural conditions, which guided the use of traditional framing and carpentry techniques to conserve historically significant architectural features. This process including stabilizing or repairing portions of the log sill and frame, in keeping with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, along with further repairs to the roof gables and cedar-shake cladding. These repairs required the use of techniques such as saddle-notch log joinery (replicating the shape orientation, and tool-markings identified in the original CCC-era construction).
Reaching the end (or beginning depending on your perspective) of the trail at 7am, I headed through the parking lot to my car not too far past the privy. It is easy to see why the parking lot fills up fast on any given day. I passed 15 people hiking in as I was going out, that means many of most of the cars you see were there overnight.
I spent about 45 minutes changing my clothes, making coffee and eating breakfast before driving the short distance back down the road to the Sol Duc Hot Springs just in time for them to open at 8am. They offer timed tickets, the first one is 8-9:30am. After taking a necessary shower, I made my way out to the pools.
I am not a big sauna or hot tub person, meaning I can only make myself sit in the water just relaxing for every long. I tend to overheat and it isn’t comfortable. But the air was cool enough that I was able to stay at an even temperature.
I had the feeling that the other people in the pools were regulars, or had at least been there before. Total, there were only 9 other people while I was there and a few more coming in as I left after soaking for 50 minutes or so. I wished I had brought a book to read!
You can learn more about the hot springs at the Olympic National Parks website (different from the national parks website). It was $18, well worth it for both the shower and the soak! One thing I learned is that although the website says reservations, you have to buy your tickets in person on the same day you go so really it is only a reservation if you want to go in at 8am and buy a ticket for later in the day when it might be more busy. Helpful if you are staying in the campground maybe but not really for backpackers or hikers who like to start on the trail before 8am.
On the way home, I stopped at the new Yodelin Broth Company location in Port Angeles and had a yummy salad. I think this one is called the Enchantments. Their dining porch is the perfect spot in the summer after a hike.
That brings me to the end of my backpacking trip on the High Divide and Seven Lakes Basin. This has become one of my favorite loop hikes! Although I like the idea of making it an annual trip, between permits and all the other hike possibilities it will probably be a few years before I return. I did check on the day that permits opened this year just in case I would be able to snag something during the times I had open but alas, it was not to be.
I don’t think I need to stay in the basin again, unless I can attain a permit at Round Lake. I think I would also maybe like to stay at the campsites in the tarns above Deer Lake. I know they are not as glamourous but I really do like the solitude in the sites along Canyon Creek and Sol Duc River, too. So many ways to do the loop!
Have you been out on this classic hike? Do you have a favorite campsite?
If you are reading this post in its entirety on any website other than musthikemusteat.com, it was stolen without permission.
Thank you so much for stopping by Must Hike Must Eat!
If you need some healthy eating inspiration start here:..
Need some eating out suggestions when friends want to stop after a hike? I have a Pacific Northwest Eating Guide here.
Find out what’s been happening outside the blog:
If you have a question you don’t want to post in the comments, you can ask them here:
Discover more from Must Hike Must Eat
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
That looks like a great little loop, and glad you got to see the views this time. Sometimes it’s nice to relax and take a trail at a slower pace. It’s a great excuse to spend a bit more time in the backcountry and just absorb what it means to be there.
Exactly. The older I get the more I appreciate that I can get out and spend time in the backcountry, I won’t always be able to!
Definitely! Every visit is precious time, and I’m really feeling that this year.