Sol Duc
3. Klahowya Campground to Bear Creek
| Difficulty | II+ |
| Length | 8.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 23 fpm |
| Gauge | Sol Duc R. Nr Quillayute |
| Flow Rate as of 2 hours | 16.41 ftlow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 3, 2024 |
River Description
This is a great run when there's water to fill in the boulder gardens that form relatively easy but high qualilty rapids. Winter rains generally bring the river up to a good level and it is best when rivers are moderately high.
Access Logistics: The put-in is at Klahowya Campground administered by the US Forest Service. The campground is located at Highway 101 mile 211.9 on the north side of the road. The campground is closed during the winter paddling season but it is suitable for hand-carry craft by walking into camp sites 6, 7, and 8 that have the best river access. Those looking for more action at the start can put-in at the upstream of the two bridges, at Highway 101 mile 212.6, and run Bridge Drop. To reach the take-out, travel west to Highway 101 mile 206.4 and turn south on Hillstrom Rd. and follow it to the boat launch access administered by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife that is suitable for trailed boats.
River Features
Klahowya Campground Put-In
The put-in is at Klahowya Campground administered by the US Forest Service. The campground is located at Highway 101 mile 211.9 on the north side of the road. The campground is closed during the winter paddling season but it is suitable for hand-carry craft by walking into camp sites 6, 7, and 8 that have the best river access. This access is located at approximately USGS river mile 44.9.
Hillstrom Rd. Take-Out
To reach the take-out, travel to Highway 101 mile 206.4 and turn south on Hillstrom Rd. and follow it to the boat launch access. The site features a short paved ramp to the river's edge that is suitable for rafts. Parking is available adjacent to this access point. The site is managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and requires a Discover Pass. This access is located at approximately river mile 36.8.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportSol Duc R. nr Quillayute Gauge: 18.9ft
Klahowya campground was closed. We parked off hwy-101 at the gated entrance to the campground, off to the side so as not to block any worker access. There is also potential for more parking across hwy-101 at the nearby Olympic discovery trail-head. A short hike on thru the campground leads to the rivers edge. After putting in our packrafts, the first major bend does have some downed trees, which can be avoided by staying river left. The first boulder garden is manageable. On the second half of this run- we often took river right for river splits. There are some sections with nice calm eddies, but there are also some straight sections with high banks, that can be challenging to find a place to pullover for snack/lunch. The second half of the run is characterized by more frequent whitewater sections, where the river narrows or splits, with large boulders and drops, and at this flow rate, they can be characterized as 2+, with one or two possible brief class 3. One rapid (48.05873, -124.19725) we passed thru on rvr left, looking back has the potential to be easily blocked by wood, and potentially challenging to scout. Otherwise this is a fun, mostly class 2-3 run, at this gauge level.
The take out is preceded by the presence of homes/cabins, but you should still be on the lookout for it, as the flow can be swift in front of the boat launch and it is slightly hidden from upriver view by a couple of large boulders. On the weekend there is typically fishing boats loading and unloading.
Access point for this run.
Photos from a trip on the downstream run where this access was used as the put-in.
PaddleTrails Canoe Club out on a Memorial Day weekend trip to the Sol Duc. Flow was 1900 cfs on the DOE gage.