Sol Duc Falls Lover's Lane Trail Review (Olympic NP, WA)

The Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Loop is a 6-mile loop in Olympic National Park that starts and ends at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, climbing just 570 feet the entire way. I rated it 7.5/10 overall, and it delivered one of the better waterfall payoffs I hit on the same three-month road trip that also took me through the Highline Trail in Glacier and Delta Lake Trail in Grand Teton.

Trail Details

Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Loop at a Glance

6.05 mi My distance

570 ft Elevation gain

1:17:14 My time

Route type: Loop
Start → finish: Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort → same parking lot
Highest point: Approximately 1,942 ft
Terrain: Runnable singletrack with roots, log bridges and fallen trees
Conditions: Shaded old-growth rainforest with frequently damp footing
Water: Stream crossings on the first half · bring a filter bottle
Route: Lover’s Lane → Sol Duc Falls → Nature Trail → B-Loop
Navigation: Stay left onto B-Loop · two campgrounds appear before the finish

TTR Trail Rating

SOL DUC FALLS LOVER’S LANE LOOP

Olympic National Park, WA

7.5

Overall

6.5

Scenery

3.0

Technicality

8.5

Runnability

6.0

Crowds

5.0

Parking

For a complete list of trails, be sure to check out my Trail Running Route Database where I add, review, and recommend every trail I’ve run around the world.

Should you run it?

This is an excellent and runnable trail.. The singletrack through old-growth rainforest holds a real running rhythm for almost the full 6 miles, and the biggest obstacles are root systems and log bridges, not technical rock scrambles. The tradeoff is crowds: this is one of the more popular hikes in Olympic National Park, and the stretch nearest the falls doubles as the access point for casual hikers doing the shorter 1.6-mile version.

Run the Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Loop if you:

Want a trail you can hold a real running rhythm on for almost the entire distance
Like old-growth rainforest, log bridge crossings, and a legitimate waterfall payoff
Are fine sharing the last stretch to the falls with day hikers

Skip the Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Loop if you:

Want technical terrain or real climbing, this stays flat and forgiving the whole way
Can’t get there early and want to avoid crowds near the falls entirely

Sol Duc Falls Trailhead directions

The trailhead starts at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort parking lot. Walk about 500 feet away from the resort, opposite the hot springs, and you’ll see the trail start on the left, marked by a sign for Mink Lake and Lover’s Lane. A yellow gate blocks vehicle access at the start of the dirt path.

The route

Start at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort parking lot and walk to the marked trailhead
Follow Lover’s Lane through old-growth forest for 3 miles to Sol Duc Falls
Cross the bridge at the falls onto the Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail, heading against most of the hiker traffic
Stay left at the trail split onto the B-Loop
Follow the B-Loop for 2.2 miles back along the Sol Duc River, passing two campgrounds
Finish at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort parking lot

Lover’s Lane Loop to Sol Duc Falls: I followed this singletrack for three miles to the falls, and it was relatively easy running with just occasional rocks and roots to keep you from fully zoning out. My legs were tired from running Klahane Ridge with Kaitlyn two days before, so I was glad it stayed mellow. There’s a section where a log stretches across a small creek, forming a bridge, along with a few smaller versions further along. After three miles of weaving through the rainforest, the trail pops out at Sol Duc Falls, where the water splits around a rock into three smaller falls. I’ve seen a lot of waterfalls and I’m not usually impressed, but this one earned it. I spent 15 to 20 minutes there before more people started arriving from the shorter trail.

Liked: the singletrack holds a real rhythm, and the log bridge is a genuinely fun trail feature
Watch for: the falls area fills in fast once the shorter 1.6-mile crowd shows up, get there early if you want it quiet

Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail Loop to B-Loop: From the falls, I crossed the bridge and headed onto the Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail against most of the traffic, since this is the direction the shorter 1.6-mile out-and-back crowd comes from. If you’re not up for the full loop, that short version (0.8 miles each way) is a solid family-friendly alternative that still gets you the old growth and the falls overlook. The crowded stretch didn’t last long. I stepped aside for uphill hikers. The trail eventually splits, with the B-Loop heading slightly downhill to the left and the Nature Trail continuing right toward the main trailhead parking and Sol Duc Hot Springs Road.

Liked: the short-trail alternative is a genuinely good option to point non-runners toward
Watch for: don’t miss the left turn onto the B-Loop if you’re doing the full loop, it’s easy to default right toward the main lot

B-Loop to Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort parking lot: The B-Loop is the final 2.2-mile stretch, running along the opposite side of the Sol Duc River from the first half. My favorite part of the whole run was here: trees and logs spread across the trail that I got to duck under and leap over. Those small obstacles are what make a trail fun for me. The trail pops out at two different points that look like the finish but are actually campgrounds. After passing the Sol Duc campground, it’s about a half mile to the road, where I walked as a cooldown before turning left into the parking lot.

Liked: the log obstacles keep the final stretch interesting instead of just grinding out the miles
Watch for: two campground stops that feel like the finish line but aren’t, don’t ease up early

Photos from the trail

A shaded forest trailhead with dense green ferns and trees, featuring a wooden sign that reads, “Mink Lake Lover’s Lane. No pets, weapons, or vehicles.” A yellow gate blocks vehicle access on the dirt path.

A stunning view of Sol Duc Falls, where cascading water flows through a rocky gorge lined with moss-covered cliffs and lush green vegetation. Visitors stand on a wooden overlook platform in the distance.

Sol Duc Falls Trail logistics

Go early. This is one of the more popular hikes in Olympic National Park, and the falls area fills in fast once the short-trail crowd arrives.
Bring a filter bottle for the first half. There are a couple of stream crossings you can refill at, but water access thins out after the falls.
Wear trail shoes with real traction. The trail stays damp most of the year, and grip matters more than speed here.
Bring a real camera if you have one. I only had my DJI Osmo Action 4 and iPhone at the falls and regretted not packing my Sony a6000.
Grab a National Park Pass if you’re hitting more than a few parks on the same trip, it pays for itself fast.
Budget 1.5 to 2 hours for the full loop including time at the falls. My moving time alone was 1:17:14.

Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Loop FAQs

How long does it take to run the Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Loop?

Budget around 1.5 hours for the full 6-mile loop, including time at the falls. Moving pace alone comes in closer to 1:15 to 1:20, depending on how much you stop for photos or crowds.

Is the Sol Duc Falls Trail hard to run?

Not really, and that’s what makes it stand out. The singletrack stays runnable for almost the entire loop, with only 570 feet of gain spread across 6 miles. The main slowdown is crowds near the falls, not the terrain.

Do you need a permit to park at Sol Duc Hot Springs?

You’ll need a National Park entrance pass to get into Olympic National Park, but there’s no separate trailhead permit for this loop. Parking is in the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort lot.

Can you run the whole Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Loop?

Yes, more of it than most trails covered on this site. The terrain stays runnable start to finish. The thing that slows you down is dodging hikers on the crowded stretch near the falls, not the trail itself.

Sol Duc Falls Lover’s Lane Trail Review (Olympic NP, WA)