The Sol Duc Road leaves Highway 101 west of Lake Crescent and runs about thirteen miles up the Sol Duc River valley to a trailhead and hot-springs resort. The name Sol Duc derives from a Quileute word often translated as sparkling water. The route climbs steadily through second-growth and old-growth forest along the clear, fast-moving river.
Heading back down the valley now, with the river running the other way alongside you. Funny thing about a dead-end road like this one. You see everything twice, once going up full of anticipation, and once coming down a little quieter, a little fuller. The Sol Duck has been doing this for thousands of years, carrying mountain rain back out to the sea. Today you're just following it home.
Photo: Niagara66 · CC BY-SA 4.0
