Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
1,652.00 ft (503.53 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
6.50 mi (10.46 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 Falls Creek Falls trail is a terrific adventure for anyone looking for a short, beautiful hike with a spectacular view waiting at the end. The hike in will take you along a wild section of Falls Creek that winds through some very dramatic terrain. The creek pushes fast through tight little canyons, sending currents to ricochet off of undercut walls dripping with moss, maidenhair ferns and overhanging cedar. As you follow the trail upstream, you’ll eventually leave the younger growth and find yourself wandering through some stately, moss-laden fir and cedar that frame the frantic creek. In late fall, alders and maples contribute their colors to the riparian zones. 

Take it all in, but keep your ears open as well. You will hear these falls thundering long before you see them. Stay on trail 152A to go straight to the falls and enjoy the dramatic 335-foot total plunge the creek makes in three stages. When you are finished, take 152A back to the lower trail junction, head up the hill toward 152, and then proceed upstream on 152. This grade is a little steeper, but after a mile you will see side trails to the right leading to a valley overlook where the falls are also visible. Return on the incoming trail for more views of the creek, but a loop return is also possible if you remain on 152 past the 152A junction for approximately 1.5 miles, continuing across a footbridge and proceeding back to the parking area.

Note: The hike is a simple 3.4 mile out-and-back excursion if you're just hiking to the base of the waterfall and straight back to the parking area.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

NW Forest Pass

Pros

Impressive 335-foot waterfalls. Old-growth. Creekside trail. Great views.

Cons

None.

Trailhead Elevation

1,410.00 ft (429.77 m)

Features

Waterfalls
Big vistas
Old-growth forest

Typically multi-day

No

Suitable for

Biking
Horseback

Location

Nearby Adventures

Washington, Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens
Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington
Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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

Comments

01/14/2018
Just a heads up, in winter there is locked gate that adds an extra mile or so each way to the hike along a gravel road (to get to the trail head described) so plan for a longer day. I would also add that "Congestion: Low" was not the case... very busy (probably because of all the closed trails to the waterfalls in the gorge).
10/14/2017
We just took the the gentle 1.7 mile 152A trail to the lower falls for what must be the highest reward:effort ratio of any hike in the area. The parking lot was nearly overflowing on the mid-October day we were there, and the trail busy. Lots of dogs, kids and seniors—seemed a great outing for almost anyone. The falls are the big show, of course, but the trail there and back is no slouch. It would be a worthwhile hike in a deep woodsy canyon even without the grand finale.

We didn't explore them, but the FS road leading to/from the trailhead features several signs highlighting 20-minute trails through 20s-era experimental plantings of Ponderosas and Doug firs, testing for ideal spacing and species hardiness. Could be edifying side-trips for those with an interest in forest management.

We camped at Government Mineral Springs campground just a few miles away (no Outdoor Project entry for it yet). It's a wee 5-site CCC affair with no gate, so it's accessible year-round. There are lots of dispersed camping options in the area, and the historic Government Mineral Springs Guard Station is rentable as well.
07/10/2017
This was...perfect. A last minute trip out to the Gorge with a friend led us here, to Fall Creek Falls. The hike was an extremely pleasant jaunt along a river through the forest, part of which was old growth. Though the temperature was well into the high 80s, it didn't feel it under the forest canopy, making this an extremely enjoyable, just shy of 2 miles, hike in. Once you're there, you'll wonder how something so beautiful, powerful, and majestic can keep itself hidden until you're just a few hundred feet from it. And if you're a photographer and you want to grab a shot from river level, turn around from where the main trail ends at the falls, backtrack a few hundred feet, off to the side, look closely and you'll see a trail that heads down alongside some fell trees. It's a bit of a minor scramble, but that'll take you to the river's edge. Worth it...
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