Your Guide to Sol Duc & Marymere Falls

Your Guide to Sol Duc & Marymere Falls – PNW Series Finale!

Published about 1 year ago • 1 min read

Hey there Reader,

Welcome back for Part 4, the last in our Last Summer in the PNW series!

Last time, we were up in the mountains at Hurricane Ridge watching the sun set behind Mount Olympus (catch up on Part 3 here!).

This time, we’re exploring two of Olympic’s most beautiful waterfalls: Sol Duc Falls and Marymere Falls.

Sol Duc Falls: Easy Trail, Beautiful Falls

A panoramic collage of Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park. The left panel shows a paved hiking trail with a rustic wooden railing. A person with dark, curly hair, wearing a maroon top and white shorts, stands by the railing, looking into the dense forest. The center panel features the powerful, multi-tiered Sol Duc Falls rushing through a deep, mossy canyon, with a large fallen log spanning the torrent. The right panel displays a dirt hiking path winding away through the dark, lush Olympic rainforest, with a person wearing a backpack visible in the distance.

Sol Duc Falls kept popping up as one of the most recommended stops in Olympic. The hike’s short and easy (1.8-mile out-and-back), and it feels like you’re walking right into old growth rainforest (because you are!).

Even though the hike is short, we ended up spending 2.5 hours on the trail. Most of that time was just watching the falls and taking pictures.

The bridge gives you that postcard-like shot of the 50-foot falls, but if you follow the trail a bit farther, you’ll find a wooden railing with a great side view.

👉🏻 Check Out Our Sol Duc Falls Guide

If you're visiting between September and October, make a stop at Salmon Cascades on the drive in. You might catch salmon jumping upstream!

Marymere Falls: A Quiet, Fairytale Hike

A panoramic collage of Marymere Falls in Olympic National Park. The left panel shows a reddish-brown footbridge spanning a shallow, rocky stream, surrounded by lush green trees and foliage. The center panel features the tall, narrow Marymere Falls cascading down a moss-covered rock face into a small pool, with fallen logs and debris at its base. The right panel displays a dirt hiking trail with a rustic wooden fence on the right, winding through dense green forest. A person with a backpack is visible walking away from the viewer on the trail.

Marymere Falls feels distinctly different than Sol Duc Falls. It feels quieter, almost fairytale-like. The trail starts right by Lake Crescent and winds through the trees before crossing a few wooden bridges. This is another short 1.8-mile out-and-back trail.

As you round that last corner you'll see the 90-foot falls through the trees. We stayed a while, just taking it in before heading back to the lake to watch the sun set over Lake Crescent.

👉🏻 Read Our Marymere Falls Trail Guide

What's Next: Exploring Indiana Dunes NP

Both hikes are quick, easy, and definitely worth checking out if you’re exploring the Lake Crescent or Port Angeles side of Olympic National Park. (P.S. These two trails don't allow dogs, so Toby and Lily had to sit this one out. Though, they were comfy back at our Airbnb!)

After this, we’ll be sharing our May visit to Indiana Dunes National Park, where we hiked sand dunes and explored the wetlands.

See you on the trail,

Minerva & Sam

P.S. Which one’s your pick — Sol Duc or Marymere? Hit reply and tell us!

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246

Unsubscribe · Preferences

Three Colorado Springs Stops We Explored With Our Dogs

Hey there Reader, When we drove from Alabama to Grand Teton National Park this summer, Colorado Springs was our first major stop. We hadn't been back in Colorado since our 2022 honeymoon road trip to Yosemite. Our dogs didn't join for that one, and we really only had time to climb the 2,744 stairs of the Manitou Incline and the dunes at Great Sand Dunes NP. Colorado Springs has some amazing outdoor adventures, and Garden of the Gods was one we'd been wanting to visit for years. This time, our...

about 3 hours ago • 3 min read

A six-photo collage from Grand Teton National Park featuring the Teton Range, Colter Bay campsite, wildlife, and the couple's two dogs.

We’re back from a 4,800+ mile road trip!

Hey there Reader, We just made it back home from an awesome two-week, 4,800+ mile road trip, where we drove all the way from our home in Alabama to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming (plus a bunch of breathtaking places in between). Since we just got back from our trip this past Sunday (I think I'm still riding the post-vacation high), we've been busy unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning the car and organizing. We’ll be sharing our stories and experiences from this cross-country adventure on...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

A person hiking with a dog on a gravel path next to a rustic split-rail fence, with the historic wooden buildings of the Mountain Farm Museum in a green meadow.

One of the Only Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Smokies

Hey there Reader, Last month, we spent a quick weekend getaway in the Smokies with our dogs Toby and Lily. If you've ever looked for dog-friendly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you probably already know that out of the 800+ miles of trails, dogs are allowed on exactly 2. There's the Gatlinburg Trail, which starts right in Gatlinburg, and the Oconaluftee River Trail, which is about an hour south of Gatlinburg deeper into the mountains near Cherokee, NC. While we do enjoy...

5 months ago • 1 min read

With Each Mile