This is one heck of a waterfall in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest section of the Pacific Northwest.
About The Hike
The hike begins at a parking lot with restroom facilities in Gifford Pinchot National Forest and can be done as a loop or an out & back hike. The trail runs along Falls Creek and includes cool bridges, trails that line the gorge, and amazing old growth forest with plenty of that Pacific Northwest mossy tree vibe.
You have the choice to hike to both the top and the bottom of the falls, with the bottom giving you this great viewing spot of the two tiers of waterfalls. Unfortunately I was running out of daylight here and was unable to make it to the top.
If you can plan out a few hours for this hike I would definitely recommend checking it out. These were some of the most extreme falls I saw in the Pacific Northwest.
Falls Creek Trail Loop:
Distance: 5.3 Miles
Type: Loop
Elevation: 2362 feet
Ascent: 1118 feet
The out & back that I hiked when visiting in September was roughly 3 miles total. The AllTrails map does not include the section of hiking out & back to the lower falls viewpoint so be sure to include that if doing the full loop or only the shorter and direct out & back.
Falls Creek Falls 152A is 1.5 miles each way and is the most direct route to the base of the falls.
Getting There and Important Information
The trailhead is located in the southern section of Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The roads leading up to the trailhead are gravel but maintained enough for two wheel drive vehicles.
The parking lot is very large indicating this could be a popular hike however only a couple cars were located here when I visited in the afternoon mid-week of September.
There are what looks to be free primitive camping spots along the mile long gravel road approaching the parking lot. There are also dispersed sites a quarter-mile of a hike in along the Falls Creek. I also did not see any no camping or no overnight parking signs in the parking area.
Be sure to check out the other insane waterfalls in Gifford Pinchot National Forest like Panther Creek Falls!
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Photography exclusively by Dan Oliver unless otherwise stated and cited. Embedded maps are provided by Embed Google Map (embedgooglemap.net) and map images shown are provided as stated and cited.
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