Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
250.00 ft (76.20 m)
Trail type
Shuttle
Distance
2.50 mi (4.02 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Lewis River Falls hike definitely delivers on the waterfalls.  Glacial melt from Mount Adams feeds the Lewis River and leads to stunning waterfall drops at Lower, Middle and Upper Lewis River Falls. Photographers, fisherman and those looking to take a (chilly) dip in the river will be presented with dozens if not hundreds of options.

Driving into Lower Lewis River Falls from NF-90, you’ll find a large campground and toilet facilities. From this parking area for Lower Lewis River Falls it is a short, 500-foot trek to a vista overlooking the 43-foot tall, 200-foot wide Lower Falls. Once you’ve taken in the views and taken some good photographs, continue following the trail up along the Lewis River.

Just before you hit the Middle Falls you’ll see a path that forks off along the trail to Copper Creek Falls. This quarter mile hike off the main path is strongly recommended, as Copper Creek Falls is surrounded by a lush landscape and can be directly seen from a bridge crossing.

Returning to the main path and heading up river you’ll reach the dramatic, 300-foot wide Middle Falls that drops 33 feet over multiple tiers.

Continuing up along the river, you’ll have yet another great destination to reach. Upper Lewis Falls looks remarkably similar to Lower Lewis River Falls, but it is even larger. With a 58-foot drop and a 175-foot span, Upper Lewis River Falls is the tallest of the four major falls on this section of the river.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

NW Forest Pass

Pros

Multiple large waterfalls. Old-growth forest. Wild flowers and fishing.

Cons

Shaded hiking most of the way.

Trailhead Elevation

1,500.00 ft (457.20 m)

Features

Backcountry camping
Waterfalls
Big vistas
Old-growth forest
Wildflowers
Shelters
Fishing

Typically multi-day

No

Location

Nearby Adventures

Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington
Washington, Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens
Indian Heaven Wilderness

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington
Mt. Adams/Indian Heaven Wilderness/Goat Rocks, Washington

Comments

12/15/2018
This was a great trail and the waterfalls were spectacular! From the lower falls to the upper Falls, my GPS recorded about a 6 mile round trip. There were a few patches of snow but the trail and road were mostly clear, and we only saw one other person on the trail.
09/07/2018
Lower Lewis Images
07/27/2018
NF 90 had a section of dirt road that was seriously congested this weekend. There was a small section that was significantly pot-holed and on an incline which made it difficult for cars to pass through. As a result, many people decided to simply park their cars there and walk the remaining mile or so to the campground.

The 0.3M section of the trail that the Middle Falls rests on is closed so you'll have to go around it via the Middle Falls Trailhead and the Copper Creek Falls.

The camp sites at the Upper Falls are all right on the river and are well suited for 1-2 hammocks/tents. You could probably squeeze in a third, but it would be a tight fit.
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