Adventures with Holly & Bryan

“Have you seen any salmon jumping yet?” I asked eagerly, turning to the woman crouched next to us on the rocky overhang.

She grinned and pointed at the churning river below. “They’re gathering in that pool below the Salmon Cascades. Every now and then, one of them will try to make the leap up the first waterfall.”

Bryan and I settled in on the rocks next to her, joining the small line of observers staring at the river. The water frothed through a narrow channel here, forming a deep green pool at the base of a jumble of rapids. Where the sunlight hit the pool, I could see the dark silhouettes of the salmon circling.

“Oh!” the group suddenly exclaimed as one. I gasped, too. A fish had leapt out of the green pool, but it hit the small waterfall too low and fell back to the lower level.

I had never seen salmon jumping before. Now I felt a strange shiver of excitement. To me, watching salmon jumping up a waterfall was one of the special wonders of nature, akin to watching the Aurora Borealis or seeing a shooting star.

Back in elementary school, we had raised salmon from eggs in a tank in our classroom. I remember peering at the orange eggs, our faces pressed against the glass. A metal bar covered in ice crystals extended into the tank to keep it cold. We avoided that metal bar as if it were a hot fire poker. The teacher had told us we’d get stuck to the salmon tank if we touched it, and we were sure she was right.

When the eggs had hatched, we set the tiny salmon free in a neighborhood stream, singing the Salmon Cycle song as we solemnly watched them retreat into the water.

Now, nearly 25 years later, I was astounded to see a grown salmon jump up a waterfall. It hadn’t even cleared the leap. But I was sure the next one might. I tried not to blink as I waited for the next fish to make the jump.

These Salmon Cascades in Olympic National Park are one of the best places in the Pacific Northwest to watch the salmon run. In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of the Salmon Cascades and everything you need to know to watch the salmon jumping yourself.

Overview of the Salmon Cascades

When I first saw the marker labeled “Salmon Cascades” on a map of Olympic National Park, I was instantly intrigued. The Salmon Cascades are a set of small waterfalls on the Sol Duc River in Washington state. They’re about 3 1/2 hours by car from Seattle, or 5 hours from Portland. You can find them by navigating to “Salmon Cascades” on Google Maps.

A week after spotting that intriguing map marker, Bryan and I were driving along Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, looking out for the Salmon Cascades sign.

There’s a turnout near the cascades, with a parking lot and a restroom. A very short trail leads through a mossy forest to the viewing area. A sign at the trailhead reminds visitors that fishing is not allowed at the Salmon Cascades—please only view the salmon!

The overlook at the end of the trail has a wooden viewing platform and a variety of side trails that lead to closer vantage points on the rocks above the river. Take care on the rocks if you follow any of these routes, as the river bank is steep and can be slippery.

From the viewing areas along the river, you can see the series of small waterfalls that make up the Salmon Cascades. Depending on the time of year, salmon or steelhead swim upriver to spawn, and you can watch them jump up the small waterfalls. Below the cascades, you can see them gathering in the pool to prepare for the leap.

It’s amazing to see their strength and persistence. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to make it up the waterfall. We saw several fish make the leap, only to fall back down into the pool below. Definitely something to think about when we run into challenges of our own!

When to Visit the Salmon Cascades

Per the National Park Service, the best time of year to see salmon jumping at the Salmon Cascades is September and October (to see Coho salmon jumping). If you visit in the spring (the end of March through May), you can see steelhead. We visited on September 7th, and the photos included in this post are from that day.

Not planning to go? Check out our video below to see the salmon-jumping in action!

Our video of salmon jumping up the Salmon Cascades on the Sol Duc River

We first arrived at the Salmon Cascades in the early afternoon. After watching the salmon jumping for a while, we continued down the road and took a beautiful hike to Sol Duc Falls. We stopped again at the Salmon Cascades in the evening on the way back, and it seemed their jumping frequency had increased. If you likewise have flexibility in your trip, I’d recommend checking out the Salmon Cascades in the evening or at a couple of different times of day.

Why Do Salmon Jump Up Waterfalls?

Salmon have a fascinating life cycle that leads to the phenomenon at the Salmon Cascades. The National Park Service has a great overview of the whole salmon cycle here, but here is a quick overview:

Salmon hatch from eggs in small freshwater streams. Coho salmon (the kind most often seen at the Salmon Cascades) stay in freshwater for a year or more after hatching. The length of time in freshwater varies a lot depending on the salmon species, with some salmon species migrating to the oceans much sooner.

After their time in freshwater, young salmon swim downstream into progressively larger tributaries until they reach rivers that feed into the ocean. They spend up to several years in the ocean, again depending on the type of salmon. Coho salmon spend only around 18 months in the ocean.

After their time at sea, they reverse the process and return to the small stream where they hatched. This journey requires swimming upriver against the current and navigating a plethora of river obstacles. Once back in their original stream, they spawn (laying and fertilizing eggs), and then die.

Waterfalls like the Salmon Cascades are just one of the many challenges the salmon encounter as they swim upstream on their journey to spawn.

Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest

Thanks for joining us at the Salmon Cascades! For more travel ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.

Happy exploring!