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NOTE: The script offers choices: it provides a very basic overview of the building and the interp panels, then provides a detailed description of each panel. The detailed option is laid out to access the panels in a clockwise direction.
Sol Duc Interpretive Exhibit. Overview 1 minute
At the far-right edge of the parking lot, a path leads to a roof covered, open-sided wooden structure supported along each side by log posts. Large interpretive panels are attached between these log posts. Additional panels are attached to log posts inside the building. There are a total of nine panels titled, 1. Welcome to Sol Duc; 2. Gateway to the Wilderness; 3. Plant Identification; 4. A Visit to the Original Sol Duc Resort; 5. Tears of the Dragon: geology of the Sol Duc Springs; 6. Sol Duc River: the architect; 7. Soleduck Valley: a blending of two forest communities; 8. Spotting Sol Duc Wildlife; and 9. Explore Spectacular Sol Duc Valley.
Continue listening to hear a detailed description of each Interpretive panel. 30-minutes
The panels may be accessed via multiple directions. The following descriptions begin with the most forward-facing panel, moving clockwise through the building.
On the right half of the first panel titled, Welcome to Sol Duc, a painting shows a frothy white stream flowing toward us through a forest of green pine trees and yellow-green foliage growing along the rocky stream banks. In the lower center of the painting, two boulders at the top of a rocky ledge, separate the stream into three fingers of water that cascade over the edge into the stream below. On the right stream bank, people stand on a platform behind a railing overlooking the waterfall. On the left side of the panel, text reads:
All around you, spectacular natural forces are orchestrating the rhythms of Sol Duc. Born in mountain snowfields, the dynamic Sol Duc River descends steeply, plunges over sandstone ledges at Sol Duc Falls and thunders through deep canyons. It emerges into a valley cloaked with western hemlock and Douglas-fir trees that shelter generations of wildlife. Water, windstorms, wildfires and shifting climate continuously contour these diverse landscapes. Summer brings renewed life to the high country as snows melt and wildflowers burst into brilliant color. Olympic marmots browse in meadows while black bears devour ripening berries. Autumn shifts the drama to the valley floor. Pacific salmon ascend the river to spawn and die in the shadow of ancient trees. This final journey of salmon offers life to their progeny, nutrients for the forest and a feast for countless wildlife species. From early Indians for the Olympic Peninsula to guests at the historic Sol Duc Hot Springs Hotel to today’s visitors, people are captivated by the unique tempos that shape this majestic place. Sol Duc hold a legacy of the past and a promise for the future. Will you hold this promise in your hands?
Below the text, a quote by John Muir, reads, As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.
Along the back of the building is the second panel titled, Gateway to the Wilderness, please handle with care. In a color photograph on the right, a snow-capped mountain range with sharp pointed peaks fills the background and towers above a valley capped in grey-blue fog. On the near slope of the valley, dark clusters of pine trees grow, then a green meadow teeming with light colored wildflowers and low growing plants fills the foreground. Text on the left reads:
Steep mountain trails lead to Olympic’s fragile high country. Glistening lakes, inspiring views of Mount Olympus, and wildflowers in abundance are rewards for the strenuous hike. The Soleduck mountain country fights an uphill battle to maintain its natural beauty. It has a short growing season, thin soil, and attracts many backpackers each year. As a result, the area is showing signs of wear and tear.
Below the text is an illustration of a plant with short green needles and three clusters of purple bell-shaped flowers. Text continues, Help protect this spectacular subalpine area by not trampling heather and other delicate plants. Camp only in existing campsites. Ask a ranger for other minimum impact camping techniques.
Moving to the right is the third panel titled, Plant Identification, which organizes plants into three vertical columns. From left to right, the first column is labeled, Deciduous Trees and below the header is the first tree, Vine Maple. Text reads, Shrubby, deciduous, multi-stemmed tree with long sprawling limbs that sometimes root into forest floor. Leaves star-shaped, two to six inches long, with seven to nine pointed lobes. Wings of seeds spread in opposite directions. An illustration shows a section of brown branch with three green leaves, and one winged seed attached.
Moving down, the next tree is Bigleaf Maple. Text reads, deciduous broadleaf tree. Leaves eight to twelve inches, turn yellow-brown in fall. Wings of seeds point in the same direction. Mature bark, black, deeply ridges. An illustration shows a section of brown branch with three green leaves, and one winged seed attached.
The final tree in this column is Red Alder. Text reads, deciduous broadleaf tree. Egg-shaped leaves, three to six inches long, sawtooth edges. Small “cones” found on the tree year-round. Lichens cause dark-grey bark to appear light colored, and resemble birch trees. An illustration shows a section of brown branch with five green leaves, two clusters of small oval shaped cones, one cluster of four long cylindrical spikes.
The center column is labeled, Evergreen Trees, and begins with Douglas-fir. Text reads, Evergreen conifer (not a true fir) with one and one-half inch needles sticking out in all directions from the branch. Three-pronged “tails” project out between the scales. Mature corky bark is thick and furrowed. An illustration shows a section of branch thickly covered with green needles and three brown cones, one near the tip of the main branch and one each on branches winging out from the main branch to the left and right. The oval shaped cones with overlapping layers of scales come to a point at the tip. Small, flap-like scales with pointed tails sit in between the scales.
Next, the Western Hemlock. Text reads, evergreen conifer with distinctive drooping top. Soft, flat, blunt needles spread horizontally from opposite sides of twigs. Cones, less than one inch, hang in bunches on branch tips. Bark thinner and less furrowed than Douglas-fir. An illustration shows a section of brown branch thinly covered with flat, green needles. Three brown, oval shaped cones with scales that flare outward are on the branch, one at the tip of the main branch and one each on smaller branches extending from the top of main branch.
Continuing, the next tree is Sitka Spruce. Text reads, evergreen conifer. Needles extremely prickly and like Douglas-fir, grow around branches. Stiff-scaled hanging cones two to four inches long. Scaley bark resembles corn flakes. An illustration shows a section of branch thickly covered with green, sharp needles. Two oval-shaped brown cones with densely covered overlapping pointed scales hang down from the branch.
The last tree in this column is Western Redcedar. Text reads, evergreen conifer. Leaves scale-like, one-eighth inch long, shiny green and smooth. Small cones, erect on branches, resemble carved flower buds when open. Bark, stringy, fibrous. An illustration shows a section of green branch comprised of many side branches. Five brown cones are attached along the branch.
The final column on the right is labeled, Shrubs. First is Salmonberry. Text reads, shrub with brown stems and weak spines. Toothed leaflets grow in threes. Salmon to reddish blackberry shaped fruits ripen June and July, replacing dark pink flowers. An illustration shows a section of brown stem with clusters of green leaves. Berries hang from stems.
Next, Western thimbleberry. Text reads, large, soft, hairy, maple-like leaves, four to eight inches. White flowers bloom May to July. Cap-shaped berries are soft, seedy, bright red in July and August. An illustration shows a stem lined with six green five-lobed leaves. Three white star-shaped flowers with five petals are evenly spaced along the stem with two berries on short stems.
Moving down, Red huckleberry. Text reads, bright green, delicate, oval leaves. Green twigs sharply angled. Single round red berries ripen in July. Other huckleberry species share the lowland forest community. An illustration shows a green plant with a main stem with two twigs attached on each side. Red berries are bright against the green of the leaves.
The last shrub is Salal. Creeping or erect and very abundant on dry slopes. Thick, leathery, oval leaves, two to five inches, with toothed margins and pointed tips. Bell-shaped, white to pink flowers grow on sticky, hairy stalks. Round, hairy, dark blue to black berries appear in July. An illustration shows a cluster of stems with green leaves and stalks with white flowers lined up in a row hanging downward.
In the center of the room to your right is the fourth panel, titled, A Visit to the Original Sol Duc Resort. Text in the top left reads, Sol Duc Hot Springs were long thought to have magical healing powers. In the 1880s, a local Indian shared secrets of the hot springs with settler Theodore Moritz. Moritz filed a claim and built a rough horse trail, cabins and log bathtubs. Soon, guests sought the reputed therapeutic effects of the water. One restored visitor, Puget Sound timber baron, Michael Earles, was so impressed that he purchased the property. In 1910, he began construction of a luxurious health resort which was completed in 1912. The immensely popular resort was short lived. Only four years after its opening, most of the building burned to the ground. A scaled-down resort continued to operate for years, until the property became part of Olympic National Park in 1966. Since then, buildings and pools have been greatly improved, but the elegance of the original resort belongs to a bygone era.
To the right of the text is a black and white archival photograph of a large four-story hotel and adjacent buildings. The photo shows one side and the front of the building. The windows on the top floor are encased in dormers that protrude off the roof, five on the front of the building and two on the side. The third and second floors each have twelve windows flush to the building across the front and six windows on the side. The first floor is wrapped in a covered porch with large windows spanning each side. In the distance, in line with the hotel, are smaller buildings. In front of the hotel is a manicured lawn with walkways lined with flowers. Benches sit among a cluster of tall trees. Writing on the photograph reads, Sol Duc Hot Springs Hotel and Grounds Sol Duc Washington.
Below the photograph is an illustration of a blue river flowing between brown rocky shorelines in the center of the image. Trees line the banks and green mountains rise in the distance. A caption reads: Soleduck or Sol Duc? Two spellings of one word can be confusing. “Soleduck” (one word spelled s,o,l,e,d,u,c,k) is used for geographical features such as the river and valley, while “Sol Duc” (two words spelled s,o,l then d,u,c) applies to the resort and hot springs. “Soleduck” (one word) may be an anglicized version of a Quileute Indian phrase meaning “clear sparkling water.” “Sol Duc” (two words) may have originated with early Portuguese or Spanish explorers referring to the river’s brightness.
To the left of the illustration are two side-by-side black and white archival photographs. On the left, three roofless steam powered cars with a rectangular glass windshield transport groups of well-dressed men and women, along a dirt road lined with trees. The photo on the right shows a long white boat with a covered lower deck lined with windows, a taller square pilot house, and a black steam engine stack. The name on the bow of the boat reads, Betty Earles. A caption below both photos reads, Getting to the resort was an adventure in itself. Some visitors traveled by steamboat from Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula and were met by fleets of red Stanley steamers bound for the east end of Lake Crescent. After cruising the length of the lake to Fairholm on Michael Earles’ private ferry, the Betty Earles, guests climbed back into Stanley Steamers and completed the final fourteen miles to Sol Duc.
The fifth panel, Tears of the Dragon: geology of the Sol Duc Springs, is to the left and a few feet forward of the back of the building. At top right is a drawing of two green and black dragons facing one another with menacing looking eyes and long snouts. A thin forked tongue protrudes from each dragon’s mouth and their snake-like bodies are curled and covered in scales. Text in the upper left reads, According to Indian legend, dragon-like creatures called lightening fish lived in these mountains – one creature in the Soleduck and one in the Elwha Valley. Battling for years over disputed territory, they sheared timber off mountain peaks and created huge clearings above tree line. Skin was lost to combat and landed on trees and rocks as reindeer moss, lettuce leaf lichen. When neither dragon could slay the other, they crawled to their caves in despair and began to cry. Their ever-flowing tears provide the warm waters of Olympic and Sol Duc Hot Springs.
Below the text is a brown, green and white geologic illustration. At the top, rain from white clouds falls in long slanted lines hitting green mountains and a valley below. A cutaway view then shows the jagged paths of cold surface water as it descends through the ground to the hot interior of the earth. From there, lines illustrate the upward path of hot water and steam to the surface. To the right of the illustration is a black and white line drawing of three round pools and a larger square swimming pool. People sit in the pools and stand along the edges. A caption reads: To geologists, the hot springs are simply seeps in sandstone beds, unlike the dramatic geysers of Yellowstone. Where does the heat originate? Rain and snow may flow to the earth’s warmer depths through channels in broken rock of the nearby Calawah fault zone. This surface water then mixes with hot waters and gases from deep in the earth, absorbs minerals, and returns warmed to the surface. Mineral waters are pumped from one main spring at 128 degrees Fahrenheit. The waters are cooled to 100 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit for use in the resort’s pools.
Turning to the right, the sixth panel is on the side wall of the building. It is titled, Soleduck River, the architect. On the left side of the panel is a color photograph of a swiftly flowing river in the foreground, its white water tumbling over dark and light grey river rocks. In the background, the rocky shoreline meets a riverbank with green groundcover and leafless trees. A quote to the right of the photo by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, A.D. 121 to 180 reads, “Time is a river of passing events, and strong is its currents; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.”
In the top right text reads: Time water and tice shape the Olympics into spectacularly rugged terrain. Imagine the Olympic mountains a massive dome, formed eons ago. Rain pelted the dome, forming streams that radiated from its center, sculpting shales, slates, sandstones, and basalts into a geologic masterpiece. During the last two million years, ice has often dominated the Olympic landscape. Alpine glaciers, mixed with gravel and boulders, flowed into stream channels. These rivers of ice shaped narrow canyons into broad steep-walled valleys, such as the Soleduck.
Below, is a geologic cut-away illustration of green mountains with gently curved valleys. Text atop the illustration reads, Glaciers carve U-shaped valleys. Below the mountains, a deep brown cut in the earth winds its way toward the bottom of the illustration where blue water fills the bottom of the cut. Text here reads, Rivers carve V-shaped valleys.
To the right of the illustration is a map of the Olympic Peninsula. Text below reads: Thirteen thousand years ago, the climate warmed and most, if not all of the glaciers disappeared. Numerous glaciers still exist on the park’s highest peaks. The glaciers may be ice age remnants or a result of the areas tremendous precipitation. Sparkling waters of the Soleduck continue their journey through time, shaping the landscape with ceaseless determination. Were it not for the Soleduck River, this valley would not exist.
Turning 180 degrees, move toward the center of the room, where on the right is the seventh panel titled, Soleduck Valley: a blending of two forest communities. An illustration at top left shows two hikers walking single file along a brown dirt trail through a forest of large pine trees with brown bark, green needles, and brown, hanging cones. The understory is thick with low lying green plants. Each hiker carries a large, framed backpack on their back. The hiker in the rear uses a walking stick. Text below reads: Two types of lower elevation forest mingle in this valley – drier lowland forest typical of the park’s northeast side, and temperate rain forest found in the wetter western valleys. Since the Soleduck Valley faces northwest, it has aspects of both forest types. Lowland forest covers the lower slopes of the Elwha, Dosewallips, Duckabush, and Skokomish Valleys. Western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, and an occasional grand fir characterize this plant community. More shrubs carpet the floor, but fewer hanging mosses decorate trees than in the rain forest.
A second illustration in the lower right corner shows a brown Elk standing in profile in the forest. Atop the elk’s head is a large rack of antlers with seven points on each side. The elk’s neck has a mane of dark fur while the rest of its body is a light brown. Green ferns and other plants grown on the forest floor below towering trees covered with hanging moss. A branch with clusters of five lobed green leaves hangs down in the foreground. Text above reads: Temperate rain forest flourishes in the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault Valleys. It contains the same tree species as lowland forest, except that grand fir is absent and Sitka spruce is characteristic. Other features include trees on stilts, colonnades of giant trees, moss-covered bigleaf maples, and carpets of shamrock-like oxalis. The Soleduck Valley is a unique blending of these two forest types. Sitka spruce and grand fir exist here. Mosses, ferns, and fungi are prevalent, but their growth is less luxuriant than in the rain forest. Many animal species are common to both communities, though elk, bear, and other mammals are more abundant in the rain forest. A subtle mixture of two plane communities, this valley has a beauty an magnificence all its own.
Turn 180 degrees to face the eight panel, titled Spotting Sol Duc Wildlife. Eleven species are included on the panel organized in three rows. Each has a small color illustration with brief informational text. Beginning with the top row, introductory text reads: Where is all the wildlife? Hidden in this valley is a diverse population of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and more. To discover these discreet animals, listen for sounds and watch for clues. Wildlife viewing brings new challenges day and night, and throughout the changing seasons. All of your explorations will be rewarding, every moment with nature is priceless.
Cougar – Puma concolor Cougars are elusive but you might spot their three-inch tracks on snowfields or muddy trails. These large cats are the primary predators of elk and deer in the Olympics. The illustration shows a large, tan, muscular cat-like animal standing in profile on a moss-covered log. It has a short snout, white at the tip, two rounded ears atop its head, a yellow eye, and a long thick tail.
Winter Wren – Troglodytes troglodytes Only four inches long and weighing less than on ounce, winter wrens send out a melodious song that fills the woods during nesting season. The image shows a stout brown and black striped bird standing on thin legs atop a rotted tree. Its tan pointed beak is open wide, its eye is round and dark, and its short tail feathers are angled upward.
Black Bear – Ursus americanus Black bears are true omnivores, feasting on roots and grubs to small mammals or elk carcasses. Fall finds black bears eating salmon along the rivers and berries in mountain meadows. In the image, a bear with thick black fur walks toward us. It has a robust body, round ears, dark oval eyes, a long, pointed snout, wide dark nose and rounded mouth. Long claws protrude from each paw.
On the second row: Fisher – Martes pennanti Cat-sized member of the weasel family, fishers hunt small mammals and birds in the forest. Fishers were recently reintroduced to the Olympics. In the illustration, a dark furred animal lays on a dead tree trunk. It has a heart shaped flat head, pointed snout ending with a nose and mouth, two small round ears above each dark eye, and a long thick tail.
Black-tailed Deer – Odocoileus hemionus Quiet browsers of the forest, black-tailed deer inhabit all elevations of the park. Look for deer in the morning or at dusk in subalpine meadows or near the forest edge. In the image, a light brown adult deer stands close to two fawns in a forest landscape. The adult has a long snout, black nose, dark eyes, tall ears, and a short black tail. The fawns have rows of white spots in their darker brown fur.
Northern Flying Squirrel – Glaucomys sabrinus Nocturnal northern flying squirrels glide through the forest canopy. Landing on the ground, they feed on truffles and other fungi, and fall prey to spotted owls. The image shows a squirrel in flight, its loose skin between the front and back legs acting like wings. It has large dark eyes, upward pointed ears, and a small nose on its round face. Its body and bushy tail are brown above and white below.
Roosevelt Elk – Cervus elaphus Protection of Roosevelt, named for President Theodore Roosevelt, was a main reason this park was established. Listen for their autumn bugling calls. The image shows a brown elk, its head raised, lying on a fern covered forest floor. Atop its head are antlers with six points on each side. A long-pointed ear sticks out sideways on each side of its head, and its dark oval, widely spaced eyes look straight ahead. A wide nose with two large nostrils tips the snout along with a narrower mouth.
On the third row: Salmon and Trout Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) feed on aquatic insects and crustaceans in Sol Duc River pools. The image is an underwater scene with two salmon in the foreground. Their coloring is red on the belly and up the sides, then green with dark spots on top. They have one fin on top, five fins on the bottom and a V-shaped tail fin. The largest salmon has a long curved dark mouth and small dark round eye. In the background, other salmon swim above the rocky riverbed.
River Otter – Lontra canadensis Sleek river otters can scamper on land or swim with great agility in pursuit of fish. Look for their five-toed tracks near Olympic waterways. The image shows a swimming otter with only its brown and white head above the surface. It has a wide, dark nose at the end of a short white snout, two widely spaced small dark eyes, and small round ears on the side of its head.
Slug, Beetle, and Millipede Banana slugs (Ariolimax columbianus), carabid beetles (Scaphinotus angusticollis) and almond-scented millipedes (Harpaphe haydeniana) recycle crucial forest nutrients. The image shows a section of the forest floor with moss and leaves of small plants. Three insects lay on the ground. A long, thick yellow and black slug with two short antennae, a long, dark, flat millipede with overlapping armor like scales and many closely space legs along each side, and a black beetle with an oval shaped hind section with three legs on each side, a smaller, rounded middle section, and an even smaller head with two long antennae.
Ensatina – Ensatina eschscholtzii Eight salamander species live in the Olympics, but only two, the ensatina and red-backed salamander, breed on land. Females lay eggs in logs or burrows. In the image, a thin, long-bodied pinkish red salamander lays atop lush green foliage. On the left, its rounded head has eyes that bulge upward, nostrils at the tip of the face, and mouth below. Along its sides are two widely spaced legs. A long thick tail ends in a point.
To reach the ninth panel, move left in a diagonal direction toward the side wall of the building. This final panel is titled, Explore Spectacular Sol Duc Valley. Down the center is a color illustration of the Sol Duc Valley from above. Across the top of the image, a snowcapped mountain range spans left to right, then the long green narrow valley runs vertically to the bottom of the image flanked on each side by other ridges. Blue Lake Crescent is in the lower left corner. A road runs the length of the valley and places of interest are labeled. On the left and right sides of the panel, information with small illustrations is provided for each place of interest. To maintain the geographic order of sites along the road from top to bottom, the following will alternate between text on the left and text on the right. Beginning on the left, text reads: Discover the secrets of Sol Duc along this 14-mile road and beyond. Relax in hot mineral pools, hike scenic trails and camp beneath towering evergreens. Your opportunities to experience Sol Duc are as rich and diverse as the valley itself.
The first place of interest is High Divide. An image shows two hikers wearing large backpacks walking on a trail through a landscape covered with yellow, purple, and white wildflowers, and other low-lying green plants. Dark, A-shaped pine trees grow on the edges of the meadow and in the distance under an orange and purple sky is a massive snow-covered mountain. Text reads, High Divide crowns Sol Duc high country in the heart of the Olympic Wilderness. Backpackers are rewarded with wildflowers, shimmering lakes and views of glacier-clad Mount Olympus.
The next location is Sol Duc Falls. An image shows a forest of tall green trees and a river flowing down the center, cascading over a waterfall, and continuing along a deep waterway. below. A bridge spans the river from bank to bank above the falls. Text reads, Sol Duc Falls greats hikers on a popular eight of a mile trail. Breathe in refreshing mist from the bridge as the river thunders beneath you. Be sure to pick up a brochure for your walk. This trail continues to mountain destinations for backpackers. Continuing, an image for the next location, shows a trail on the right bank of a stream through woods of tall pine trees. A hiker walks on the trail. Text reads, Lover’s Lane Trail, two-point-nine miles, connects Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort to Sol Duc falls. From the falls, hike to Sol Duc Campground for a six-mile loop. Salmon spawn near the lower trail in the fall.
Sol Duc Campground is next. The image shows a person sitting in a chair in front of fire in an inground fire ring. One side of a tent is in the foreground. In the distance, is a white camper with a pop-up roof tent and two people sitting in chairs. Woods surround the campsites. Text reads, Sol Duc Campground provides picnic tables, potable water, restrooms and a sanitary disposal station. Programs are offered during summer at the nearby amphitheater.
Next, is Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. An image shows seven people in swimming attire sitting around the inside edge of a round hot spring pool. Steam rises from the water. Other pools with bathers are in the background along with a brown building. Text reads, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, open seasonally, offers hot mineral pools, swimming, food service, lodging and RV hookups, all in a spectacular forest setting.
The image for the next site along the road shows a small white two-story wooden plank building with yellow window shutters and a small front porch surrounded by a dense forest of tall pine trees. Text reads, Eagle Ranger Station, a historic building, is open intermittently during summer. Park rangers in the Sol Duc area provide information and other services. For emergencies contact a ranger or call 911.
Next is Ancient Grove Nature Trail and an image showing two hikers with backpacks reaching into an open box on a post at a trailhead. In the background the trail curves through a forest of tall trees and green understory. Text reads, Ancient Grove Nature Trail, a half-mile loop, winds through old-growth forest dotted with wetlands. Mid-loop the trail approaches steep river overlooks. To complement your nature walk, pick up a trail brochure.
The final location on the valley road is Salmon Cascades. The image shows a section of frothy white river tumbling over rocks and boulders in a river. Two reddish colored fish swimming upstream leap above a small waterfall. Text reads, Salmon cascades dramatically spills through basalt rocks in the Sol Duc River. Coho salmon leap this torrent during autumn to spawn upriver. A short trail leads to this unique viewpoint. |
Last updated: November 12, 2021