Explore old-growth rainforest, ascend 5,474-foot Bogachiel Peak, and reap stunning views of Mount Olympus from High Divide's ridgeline on this 17.5-mile lasso loop around a breathtaking lake basin.
Olympic National Park's variety is its hidden ace: Few hikes in the world take you from stands of 200-foot-tall, centuries-old trees to wildflower meadows with views of glaciated peaks. Hikers who scale this airy, 5,000-foot ridgeline will trek above lake-filled basins and score unrivaled views of 7,965-foot Mount Olympus—the tallest peak in the Olympics. Get there about midway through a 17.5-mile lasso loop starting on the Sol Duc River Trail. Hike southeast 0.8 mile to Sol Duc Falls, where the river splits into three parallel channels and plummets into a pinched, moss-dusted gorge. The rainforest of the Sol Duc River is every bit as magnificent as the Hoh, but without the train of hikers.
From here, the route climbs up the valley another 4.6 miles, then bends south, gaining nearly 1,400 feet in 2.1 miles to a meadowy campsite near Heart Lake. The next day, ascend the grassy basin for less than half a mile, past thinning patches of subalpine firs and avalanche lilies, to the crest of the ridge.
Now comes the big show: Trace the spine of the High Divide west for 2 miles, grabbing aerial shots of teal-colored Sol Duc, Long, and Lunch Lakes to the north and unbroken views of ice- and snow-shrouded Olympus towering above the Hoh River valley to the south. At mile 9.7, take a 0.25-mile round-trip, nontechnical detour to 5,474-foot Bogachiel Peak for final views of Olympus. Drop 1,900 feet to Deer Lake, then finish off the loop with a 3.3-mile descent along Canyon Creek.
DISTANCE: 17.5 miles
TIME REQUIRED: 2–4 days
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
CONTACT: Olympic National Park, (305) 565-3100; nps.gov/olym
THE PAYOFF: Walk from lush rainforest to wide-open glacier views.
TRAILHEAD GPS: 47.860311, -123.934214
FINDING THE TRAILHEAD: Take US 101 W from Port Angeles for 27 miles. Turn left on Sol Duc Hot Springs Road. Follow to the end of the road and park at the trailhead.
WAYPOINTS & DIRECTIONS
GPS: 47.954844, -123.834779 Begin hiking east from Sol Duc trailhead.
GPS: 47.952139, -123.820939 Continue straight on Sol Duc Trail at the junction with Deer Lake Trail.
GPS: 47.938195, -123.779615 Trail passes through valley along Sol Duc Creek.
GPS: 47.932306, -123.750554 Continue straight at the three-way junction; the trail gently ascends east. Ahead, pass 7-Mile Shelter on the right.
GPS: 47.909828, -123.734290 Find a great campsite with mountainous views along the shore of Heart Lake.
GPS: 47.907846, -123.737528 Turn right at T junction. (Side Trip: Add a day and visit Cat Basin; turn left here onto the Cat Basin spur trail.)
GPS: 47.907069, -123.750564 Hike along High Divide, a long ridgeline overlooking Seven Lakes Basin to the north and Hoh River Valley to the south.
GPS: 47.905457, -123.777745 Summit Bogachiel Peak at 5,474 feet. Look north for great views to the north of Sol Duc, Long, and Lunch Lakes, and look south to see Mount Olympus. Continue along the ridgeline.
GPS: 47.925794, -123.822600 Deer Lake has a superb campsite. Turn right to stay on Deer Lake Trail and follow it north back to Sol Duc Trail.
GPS: 47.952071, -123.820660 Turn left and retrace route back to the trailhead.