We hovered, irresolute, at the trail junction. A wooden sign nailed to a Douglas fir indicated Falls Creek Falls Trail 152A was to the right. The sign on the other trail, which wound out of sight up the forested hillside, was marked Falls Creek Trail 152. Almost the same. And yet…
Several hikers had written on this second sign. “NO FALLS” in red caps stood out against the wood, and it had been copied three more times with other pens.
It couldn’t be clearer that the Falls Creek Falls waterfall was not that way, but still we hesitated. The inexplicable tug of the unexplored trail beckoned to us, like the traveler in Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken.
“Let’s do both,” I said finally.
We took the right fork, following the woodland path to the Falls Creek Falls waterfall first.
Falls Creek Falls may not be as famous as Snoqualmie Falls or other more accessible waterfalls, but it’s easily one of the most beautiful Washington waterfalls—a difficult feat in a state known for waterfalls. In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of the Falls Creek Falls hike and everything you need to know to do the hike yourself.
There are two popular approaches to the Falls Creek Falls hike. The first is just over 3 miles, and the other is just over 6 miles (if you take that “No Falls” trail at the junction). Which is best? Stay tuned, because I’ll cover both approaches and share our recommended route.
Falls Creek Falls Trailhead
The Falls Creek Falls trail is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington. It’s about an hour and a half by car from Portland. The Falls Creek Falls trailhead has a restroom and lots of parking. The trailhead doesn’t require any passes or fees, but there is a toll in both directions on the Bridge of the Gods, which is on the fastest route from Portland.
Important Trailhead Note
The Forest Service road at the end of the drive to the Falls Creek Falls trailhead (#3062) is closed for the winter from December 1 – April 1. Some people still do the hike in the winter, but doing so adds significant distance (about 2 miles each way, for a total of 4 extra miles).
Falls Creek Falls Trail in a Nutshell
Check out our virtual tour of the Falls Creek Falls trail below, and then read on for hike highlights, stats, and trail map links.
Our video of the Falls Creek Falls trail
Regardless of whether you’re doing the shorter or longer Falls Creek Falls hike, both options initially follow a trail along Falls Creek to the waterfall. The forest is filled with moss, giving the trees a vibrant glow from so many shades of green. If the lighting is right, you can catch the reflection of the forest in the creek.
After just 1.6 miles, Falls Creek Falls itself comes into view. The trail as a whole isn’t crowded, but it is reasonably popular, and you’re likely to find several other hikers gathered here at the waterfall viewing area. It’s a great spot to stop for a snack or water break.
Falls Creek Falls has a two-part drop, with the top section of the waterfall fanning out into a series of intricate cascades. The complexity is what makes this waterfall special. The lower section plunges into a moss-rimmed stone pool. Mist rising from the falls supports ferns and glows in the sunlight.
This is when the choice of routes comes in. You can either continue back to the trailhead the way you came, for a total of 3.2 miles, or you can retrace your steps to the trail junction a little before the falls. At the junction, turning and following the upper trail will lengthen the hike to 6.1 miles.
The lower Falls Creek Falls trail is moderate in climb, but the upper trail is steep. It’s totally doable, but for something so steep, I’d hope for a great viewpoint at the top. However, Falls Creek Falls itself is not visible from the upper trail; it doesn’t lead to a viewpoint from the top of the falls. The upper trail does end at a peaceful river view (photo below), and we encountered hardly anyone else on the trail.
There are also a couple of side trails along the way that lead to nice viewpoints of the surrounding foothills.
While these views are certainly nice, the main viewpoint is much more spectacular. So, unless you’d like a longer hike for more exercise, I’d recommend taking the shorter hike to Falls Creek Falls. With the extra time, a great option is to stop at nearby Panther Creek Falls on your way back for another standout waterfall.
Here are the AllTrails entries for the two approaches to the Falls Creek Falls trail, so you can find the trail maps and recent trip reports easily:
1. Longer Falls Creek Falls trail (6.1-mile loop)
2. Shorter Falls Creek Falls trail (3.2-mile out-and-back hike)
Other Top Gifford Pinchot National Forest Waterfalls
If you enjoy the Falls Creek Falls hike, a couple of other top waterfall hikes in Gifford Pinchot National Forest are Panther Creek Falls (mentioned above) and Lewis River Falls. Click the links below to view our blog posts on these other falls.
Panther Creek Falls
The Panther Creek Falls hike is very short (less than a mile!), but that makes it a great hike to pair with the Falls Creek Falls hike. We saw Panther Creek Falls in the morning before hiking Falls Creek Falls. This complex, cascading waterfall is definitely not to be missed. Check out our Panther Creek Falls blog post before you go.
Lewis River Falls
“Lewis River Falls” actually refers to three huge waterfalls: Lower Lewis River Falls, Middle Lewis River Falls, and Upper Lewis River Falls. All three waterfalls can be seen from the Lewis River Trail. They’re striking not for being tall (though the lower and upper falls certainly aren’t short!), but because they are so wide. See our Lewis River Falls blog post to learn more about Lewis River Falls.
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for joining us on the Falls Creek Falls trail! 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!
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