A River Runs Through It

ABOUT US

Riverside Camp, as it was known in the early days of tourism by automobile, started life in 1928 as a gas station/store with pull-through cabins. You could pull your Model T under a lean-to off a primitive cabin, unload your gear, and camp. Riverside Road was then part of Highway 101 as it wound with the river through the Sol Duc Valley. In 1948 twin steel bridges were built allowing the highway to bisect the oxbow, leaving Riverside Road a remnant.

In 1995 we bought the old store/gas station which is now the main cabin. The building was badly in need of TLC and the grounds were completely overgrown but it was love at first sight for us. There is just something magical about Riverside. Our guests seem to agree. We hear that word “magic” often.

At that time we had no thought of going into the vacation rental business. We lived in Port Angeles and it was to be our weekend getaway. Turned out to be our weekend job for years to get it in shape, but when we did we couldn’t stay away. We spent so much time there we sold the Port Angeles house and lived full time at Riverside. It was wonderful in summer but very tight quarters in winter, so we bought a larger house about 10 miles away.

We couldn’t bear to part with the river place, which by then included a garage with a guest suite above it and a woodworking shop. In 2009 we started advertising the cabin and the guest suite as vacation rentals. We were pleasantly surprised at the response, and in 2010 the woodworking shop became the new cabin.

Sol Duc Riverside Cottages now consists of three cabins, the main cabin which we call Cedarbreeze, the new cabin called Riversong, and the loft above the garage. All three look out across a huge lawn sloping gently down to the banks of the Sol Duc River.

Riversong and Cedarbreeze each have a separate bedroom, a propane fireplace, a hot tub and propane BBQ on a large covered deck overlooking the river. They each have a fire pit area off their deck. The loft has a small deck overlooking the river with a propane BBQ. All three have complete kitchens and bathrooms. All three cabins sleep up to four on a queen bed and a sofa bed or in Riversong, murphy bed. Riversong is ADA accessible.

The decks are screened for privacy, and the landscaping is also designed to provide privacy. The grounds are available to all three units and there is a fire pit area on the river bank. Wood is provided for the fire pits.

Our location is central to the main attractions of Olympic National Park. We are about 38 miles southwest of Port Angeles and about 18 miles northeast of Forks. We suggest the Forks Chamber of Commerce website for information on day trips and destinations.