PNWSights
Snow patches cover the forest floor at the edge of Boulder Creek Campground, with dark evergreens framing a deep mountain valley under a clear blue sky. In the distance, a sunlit, snowcapped peak rises above the shadowed slopes, while a small campsite with a fire ring sits on the right.

Olympic Hot Springs

Port Angeles, WA

Olympic Hot Springs consists of several natural thermal pools along Boulder Creek in the Elwha River valley. The springs range in temperature from warm to approximately 105°F and are set among moss-covered boulders and old-growth forest. Access requires a 5-mile one-way hike from the Boulder Creek Trailhead.

Photography Guide

Best Time
any
Crowds
Quiet
Shot Types
detailportraitlandscape
Best Seasons
springsummerfall
Practical Tips
The road to the trailhead has been closed to vehicles, adding significant distance. Pack in all supplies and pack out all trash; no facilities are available.

Is it a good day to go?

7-day outlook

Mild, dry days with light winds are the most comfortable for a visit.

Forecast by Open-Meteo. Verdicts weigh the forecast against the conditions that suit this spot.

Author's Comments

The road washed out years ago and was never repaired, and that is the whole reason this place still feels like what it is. You walk in. Five miles each way, sometimes more depending on where you have to leave the car, and the distance is the filter. By the time you reach the pools you have earned the steam rising through the cedars, and the people who are already there have earned it too, which changes the feeling of arriving. The springs themselves are modest. A handful of soaking pools tucked into the moss along Boulder Creek, some warmer than others, the rock around them slick and dark and old. I have been here in early October when the alders were turning and the steam caught the late morning light coming sideways through the canopy. That is the photograph if you want one. But honestly I find this is a place that resists the camera a little, and I have come to think that is part of what it offers. The frame never quite holds what the body feels in the water with cold forest air on your face. Bring everything you need and carry everything out. There are no facilities, no rangers checking on you, no signs telling you what to do. The Elwha valley around you is in the middle of one of the great rewilding stories on the continent, the dams gone now, the river finding its old shape again. Sit in the water long enough and you can almost hear it happening. This is a place to go slowly, photograph sparingly, and leave smaller than you arrived.

Gallery

Snow patches cover the forest floor at the edge of Boulder Creek Campground, with dark evergreens framing a deep mountain valley under a clear blue sky. In the distance, a sunlit, snowcapped peak rises above the shadowed slopes, while a small campsite with a fire ring sits on the right. Photo: Andrew Kvalheim / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
A small, dark hot spring pool sits behind a low ring of stacked rocks on a steep, mossy forest slope, with a rocky trail and tall evergreens fading into the shaded valley. Cold blue light and patches of snow on the ground contrast with the warm glow on the treetops in the distance. Photo: Andrew Kvalheim / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
A steaming dark thermal pool sits among mossy boulders on the left, with a muddy path and smaller turquoise pools winding through a bare winter forest. Snow patches and thin trunks frame the scene, giving it a remote, quiet feel. Photo: Andrew Kvalheim / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Sunlit evergreens glow gold on a steep forested hillside above Boulder Creek, while snow patches and mossy rock lead the eye down into the shaded valley. The scene feels cold and remote, with a faint plume of steam rising near the creek below. Photo: Andrew Kvalheim / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
A fast-moving gray river cuts through a washed-out road, with torn black pavement, scattered stones, and uprooted logs piled along the eroded banks. Bare winter trees and debris frame the scene, emphasizing the remote, flood-damaged wilderness setting. Photo: NPS / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
A wet, partially flooded forest road stretches into the distance between dense evergreens, with muddy debris and washed-out edges along both sides. On the right, bright orange road signs warn “BUMP” and “PAVEMENT ENDS,” emphasizing the rough, remote setting. Photo: NPS / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
A flooded forest road disappears under fast-moving water, with a shallow sheet of floodwater spreading across the pavement and gravel shoulders. Bare winter trees and mossy evergreens line the road under a gray, overcast sky. Photo: NPS / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
A small, rock-lined hot spring pool steams in a shaded forest clearing, with dark green water and pale stones around the edge. Sunlight catches the mist and the grassy bank in the foreground, while the far side fades into deep shadow. Photo: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
Floodwater covers a narrow forest road at Olympic Hot Springs, spreading across the pavement and pooling between dense trees. Autumn leaves dot the wet surface, with a distant mountain ridge framed by the flooded corridor. Photo: NPS / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
A flooded forest road has been washed out in the middle, with broken asphalt sagging into a fast-moving stream of muddy water. Bare winter trees line both sides of the narrow road as it disappears into the distance. Photo: NPS / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

You might also like

Nearby Places

Calm blue water fills the foreground, with fine ripples reflecting the morning light. Across the lake, a steep wall of evergreen forest lines the shore, with a small green-roofed dock and a few boats tucked at the water’s edge.
Photogenic
44

Port Angeles, WA

Lake Crescent

Lake Crescent is a deep glacially carved lake known for its striking blue-green clarity, which results from a lack of nitrogen that limits algae growth. The lake is surrounded by steep forested mountains and stretches over 8 miles in length. Historic Lake Crescent Lodge on the south shore has operated since 1916.

morningspring · summer
A woman in a light jacket sits on a rocky viewpoint above Lake Crescent, looking out over the blue water and forested mountains. Evergreen branches frame the scene under a cloudy morning sky, emphasizing the sweeping alpine panorama.
Hidden Gems
22

Port Angeles, WA

Mount Storm King Trail

The Mount Storm King Trail climbs approximately 2,000 feet in 2 miles through old-growth forest to a viewpoint overlooking Lake Crescent and the surrounding Olympic peaks. The upper portion of the trail is steep and involves using rope assists on exposed sections. Views from the top reveal the full expanse of the turquoise lake below.

morningsummer · fall
A tall, narrow waterfall drops in a thin white ribbon down a dark, moss-covered rock face into a small pool, with bright green ferns and forest growth clinging to the cliff around it. A wooden trail railing and scattered rocks frame the bottom of the scene, emphasizing the close-up view in the shaded forest.
Waterfalls
45

Port Angeles, WA

Marymere Falls

Marymere Falls is a 90-foot waterfall accessed via a 1.8-mile round-trip trail from the Storm King Ranger Station near Lake Crescent. The falls drop over a moss-covered cliff into a narrow gorge surrounded by old-growth Douglas fir and western hemlock. Water flow is highest in spring and after heavy rains.

morningspring · winter