4. Bear Creek to Hatchery

The Bear Creek run on the Sol Duc River offers Class III boating through boulder gardens, with multiple routes at lower flows and exciting waves at higher flows. Fed by winter rains, the river is typically best from October to April. High flows create abundant catch-on-the-fly surf waves, making it a great option when other creek runs are too high—provided you have the necessary skills for safe navigation. The run ends at the Sol Duc hatchery, where a river-wide weir diverted water into the hatchery, forming a spectacular park-and-play feature at high flows (~10,000 cfs), known as the Mosh Pit. The weir was destroyed during a flood, and its remnants were removed in the summer of 2022. A new weir is planned for construction by 2027, featuring a longer ramp to ensure smoother river hydraulics while reducing scour and adverse currents. It remains unclear whether the new structure will create optimal conditions for surfing at high flows. Access Logistics: For those wanting to do the full run, turn off onto Hillstrom Road at Highway 101 mile 206.3 (this is just east of Bear Creek). Follow this road half a mile down to the put-in at the boat ramp. To reach the takeout from the put-in continue west on Highway 101 to mile 203.5 and turn south on Mary Clark Road and then turn immediately west on Pavel Road towards the State Salmon Hatchery. Follow Pavel Road 1.3 miles to the Sol Duc hatchery and pull into the first parking lot on your right and take the boat ramp down to the river. for additional information see - Korb, G. 1997. A paddlers guide to the Olympic Peninsula. third edition. - Bennett, J. and T. Bennett. 1997. A guide to the whitewater rivers of Washington, second edition. Swiftwater Publishing. Portland, OR. - Pacific Ranger District, North - USFS Olympic National Forest web site