13 Kid-Friendly Waterfall Hikes for Seattle-Area Families

Kids will love: Spotting the falls and catching the mist from several different angles via the footbridge and rustic viewing platforms constructed by the National Parks Service.

Highlights: Set in the heart of Olympic National Park’s temperate rain forest and enveloped by a mossy, fern-laden canyon, the swollen Sol Duc River splits into two, three or even four segments as it spills with thunder beneath your feet. This stunning 37-foot plunge into a narrow gorge is uniquely viewable from above on a high wooden footbridge and from other rustic platforms, giving you different angles onto its enthralling torrent. And it’s not finished — after the initial plunge, the river spills again in an 11-foot drop down a narrow gorge.

Getting to the falls is easy hiking on a short, well-maintained trail, so don’t hesitate to bring your good camera and a tripod; photographers fancy Sol Duc Falls to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls to shoot in the region. 

Distance: 1.6 miles round-trip, 100 feet elevation gain

Info: The Olympic National Park Visitor Center can be reached by phone at (360) 565-3130. Check current conditions and trip reports on the WTA website.

Directions: From Port Angeles, take U.S. 101 west for 31 miles and turn left onto Sol Duc-Hot Springs Rd. The trailhead is at the road’s end, about 14 miles in. A National Park Pass is required.

Next stop: Whatcom Falls