Step into a magical world of towering giant trees more than 750 years old, green mossy carpets, gullies of enormous ferns, and more shades of green than a paint factory. The Ancient Groves Nature Trail in Olympic National Park is a near-spiritual experience – and one that you will most likely have all to yourself.
This guide gives you full trail details, describes the trail so you know what to expect, and shares tips for visiting so you have the best experience. Read on …
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Ancient Groves Nature Trail Guide
Guided Tour of The Ancient Groves Trail
Private Full-day Hiking Tour in Olympic National Park
This trail is not included on standard group tours, so if you are taking a tour to Olympic National Park and want to include this short hike, the best way to see it is on a private tour.
This private tour includes hikes in the Sol Duc Valley, as well as Hurricane Ridge (read Best Hikes in Hurricane Ridge to see options) and Lake Crescent (read Best Hikes in Lake Crescent). The Ancient Groves Trail only takes about half an hour, so is easily included on the itinerary if you ask.
BOOK THIS PRIVATE ALL-DAY GUIDED HIKING TRIP TO OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
Tips for Hiking Ancient Groves, Sol Duc
- This is a short easy hike, so you don’t need special clothing or equipment, though if you’re hiking after it has rained, a good pair of hiking shoes or boots will come in handy. If you need to get some, take a look at my Guide to Buying the Best Hiking Shoes/ Boots to help you know what to look for and get some recommendations.
- You will definitely want to take a camera. I love the GoPro HERO 12. It is designed for travel. It’s water resistant and durable and takes photos, video and even does streaming (if you have cell service). Check current prices on the GoPro HERO 12 here
- Check my list of essential things to take and wear on a day hike to make sure you have everything you need.
- This is not a very crowded trail and you will often have it almost to yourself. And there are two trailheads, each with parking. However, both the parking areas are very small, so I still recommend getting there early to secure a parking spot, especially in summer, when the park gets extremely busy.
- If you are driving into Sol Duc Valley from Highway 101, there is a sign for Ancient Groves. The parking is on your right. However, if you are driving from Sol Duc Valley towards Highway 101, there is no sign and it is easy to miss. So, I recommend doing this hike on your way into the Sol Duc area.
- Be aware that there are two trailheads and two access paths to the main loop. When you come to the second sign that says “Loop”, this is NOT the path you entered in. It can be confusing if you don’t know this.
- If the first parking lot you come to is full, drive a little further along the road and you’ll come to another pullout with some additional parking. There is a trail here that also connects to the loop, so you don’t need to walk back to the other parking lot.
- It is easy to combine this trail with Salmon Cascades, Sol Duc Falls and Sol Duc Hot Springs for a full day in the Sol Duc Valley
Ancient Groves Nature Trail Details
- Distance: 0.6 miles
- Type: Loop
- Elevation change: 52 feet
- Time: 30 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: On the side of the Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, about 9 miles from the entrance station. There is a sign and small parking lot/ pullout on the right side of the road.
- Highlights: Old growth forest; glimpses of the Sol Duc River
- Fee: There is no special trail fee but you do need to pay the Olympic National Park entrance fee
Buy it online or, if you are planning to visit more than just Olympic National Park this year (Mount Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park are both close), it can be great value to purchase an America The Beautiful pass. - Open: The trail is open all year, but Sol Duc Road is not. It’s officially open year-round weather permitting, but the reality is that it is often closed in winter due to snow and ice.
The campground and hot springs are open late March to late October and this gives some indication of the period in which the road may be closed too. Check the NPS website for current road conditions.
Map of The Ancient Groves Trail
Ancient Groves Trail Description
There are two trailheads. This is described from starting at the first trailhead you come to as you drive into Sol Duc Valley from Highway 101.
The trail starts on a path at the end of the parking lot furthest from Highway 101 and runs alongside the road for a short distance before heading into the forest.
Soon after, you’ll cross a wooden boardwalk over a gully filled with enormous ferns. Moss covers many of the branches and you’ll see more shades of green than you thought possible.
The path is clear and easy to follow the entire way. There are rarely very many people on this trail, limited in part by the small parking lots.
The term “old growth forest” is typically used to describe a forest with trees more than 200 years old. Many of the towering western hemlock and Douglas-fir trees in this grove are over 750 years old!
They were there when Columbus landed on the shores of what is now the United States. They were there when the first Sol Duc Hot Springs resort opened just up the road in 1912. They were then when Olympic National Park was established in 1938. And they are still standing there today for us to enjoy!
The Olympic Peninsula lowlands grow especially enormous trees. The mild climate, rich soil and loads of rain make perfect conditions for tall trees to grow – and for trees to grow tall! However, only about 5% of the original lowland forest remains today, making this ancient grove even more special and important.
Common features of old growth lowland forest include plenty of fallen trees, a variety of trees of different ages creating multiple layers, and a forest floor of ferns, shrubs, seedlings, and other underbrush like huckleberry bushes.
After a couple of minutes, you’ll come to a small sign announcing the start of the loop and indicating the one-way, counterclockwise route around the loop.
Fallen trees that still have part of the trunk standing are called snags. These standing snags are often nesting sites for owls and small mammals.
The trail crosses several footbridges and traverses a couple of wooden boardwalks over gullies and some swampy areas. These not only keep your feet dry, they help protect the fragile environment.
About five minutes into the hike, the trail arrives at the edge of a small canyon. It runs along the edge, with moss-covered trees reaching overhead for a while.
If you peer through the trees, you can catch glimpses of the Sol Duc River at the bottom the canyon, and the hills of Olympic National Park in the background.
This is an especially great place to appreciate the moss that covers many of the trees’ branches and trunks and even parts of the ground. There are hundreds of types of moss found in Olympic National Park.
After another few minutes, the trail loops away from the rim of the canyon and back into the grove.
The decomposing leaves and logs on the floor of the forest are the perfect habitat for banana slugs, beetles, and salamanders. Keep an eye and you may see some.
The forest is also home to larger animals like black bears and mule deer.
A little under 15 minutes into the hike, you’ll come to a small footbridge over a fern gully and will then see a second entrance trail off to right.
There’s another ‘loop’ sign. This is NOT the same ‘loop’ sign that you saw before or the trail you entered the loop on. This is the sign you’ll see for the first time if you’re entering the loop from the other trailhead.
Do not take this (unless you entered there). This goes to the road further along than you parked and is another way to enter the loop through the grove.
Instead, follow the loop sign instead to stay on the Ancient Groves nature Trail.
One of the cool things you can really easily see on this trail are nurse logs. Fallen logs provide a fertile ground for new seedlings to grow. You can see a row of trees growing along the top of a log. As they grow bigger, the ‘nurse log’ rots away and you end up with a row of trees, often with roots that are formed around the log they started growing on.
In less than five minutes, you’ll come to another ‘loop’ sign. This is the sign you first saw when you entered the loop.
Take the trail off to the right to go back to the trailhead and your vehicle.
You’ve already walked along this last section of the trail, but it’s a final chance to soak in this amazing place.
The trail ends about half an hour after starting, so it’s short, but very sweet.
FAQS about the Ancient Groves Hiking Trail, Olympic National Park
What ancient trees are in Olympic National Park?
The largest and oldest trees in Olympic National Park are typically Douglas-fir and western hemlock trees. Many are more than 750 years old!
Is Ancient Groves better than the Hoh Rainforest?
They are different. Ancient Groves has a LOT fewer people, though sections of the Hoh Rainforest have more moss on the trees and have more Bigleaf Maple trees. I recommend going to both if you can.
Travel Insurance for Olympic National Park
I always recommend having travel insurance whenever you travel. This can protect you not only against medical and emergency repatriation, but can also cover things like trip cancellation, loss and/ or theft of property, etc.
A great insurance option is Travelex. It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can choose the best travel insurance plan for your trip here or get a quote right now:
Enjoy the ancient groves!
You might also like:
>> Sol Duc Falls Trail Guide
>> Salmon Cascades
>> Olympic National Park Guide
>> Best Hikes in Olympic National Park
>> Best Things to Do in Olympic National Park
>> Best Hikes Near Lake Crescent
>> Hurricane Ridge Visitors Guide
>> Best Hikes at Hurricane Ridge
>> Best Sol Duc Hikes
>> Best Hoh Rainforest Hikes
>> Best Lake Quinault Hikes
>> Best Beaches in Olympic National Park
>> Best Tide Pools in Olympic National Park
>> Best Waterfalls in Olympic National Park
Do you have any other tips for hiking the Ancient Groves Nature Trail? I’d love to hear them. Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more).
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About the Author
James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.
He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and all of the main national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.
Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.
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