Falls View Canyon Trail #868
Posted 01-24-2010 at 10:27 PM by Bradsalex
So the family went driving yesterday, we were looking for a road that went to the top of a mountain which overlooks the Washington sound. So after two hours of driving we reach the road and of course, since it is January, the road is closed for the winter. There is a trail to the top one person says to us, but it's a two mile trail with 2,000 foot of elevation gain. So we decided to go to a waterfall trail my wife looked up.
The trail is inside of the Falls View Campground. The campground is a small area, about 25 sites, that supports mostly tents. I didn't see many electrical or septic hookups on the sites. The campground is closed also, so the walk to the trail was about 1/4 mile. The trail starts at the top of the canyon across from the waterfall. There is a spot at the top of the canyon that is fenced off where you can get some very nice pictures of the waterfall.
When you start the trail it immediately goes down along quite a few switchbacks. Some of them are steep enough to have stairs, partially for footing and partially for erosion. There are some handrails and it's a nice trek down to the bottom, your knees might hurt a little at the bottom though. At the bottom you can't really see the waterfall but the rapids over the rocks make a nice picture. The trail turns into a loop from here, which runs along the river, through the woods.
The trail along the river is beaten down but it is only a footpath wide. There are some large trees that fell across the path, but they have been cut to allow people through the trail. The vegetation here is typical for Washington, moss covered trees and ferns. On the opposite side of the river there are smaller falls that give the area a nice roar throughout the hike.
On the way back the trail basically makes a switchback and runs along the same side about 30 feet higher on the bank then the other trail. There isn't a lot of elevation gain on this except for the 30 or so feet between trails. It is enough to give the trail a different vibe on the way out then you get on the way in. Sort of just a higher aspect of things.
Once back at the base of the canyon prepare for the hike back up. You will swear that someone put in a couple extra switchbacks on you while you were gone. Like I mentioned earlier the grade is steep, up to 20% in places, and it feels like it takes twice as long to get up to the top.
It's a nice hike when you have a spare hour or so. It is also a nice hike to do with families and a chance to get some good photos.
The trail is inside of the Falls View Campground. The campground is a small area, about 25 sites, that supports mostly tents. I didn't see many electrical or septic hookups on the sites. The campground is closed also, so the walk to the trail was about 1/4 mile. The trail starts at the top of the canyon across from the waterfall. There is a spot at the top of the canyon that is fenced off where you can get some very nice pictures of the waterfall.
When you start the trail it immediately goes down along quite a few switchbacks. Some of them are steep enough to have stairs, partially for footing and partially for erosion. There are some handrails and it's a nice trek down to the bottom, your knees might hurt a little at the bottom though. At the bottom you can't really see the waterfall but the rapids over the rocks make a nice picture. The trail turns into a loop from here, which runs along the river, through the woods.
The trail along the river is beaten down but it is only a footpath wide. There are some large trees that fell across the path, but they have been cut to allow people through the trail. The vegetation here is typical for Washington, moss covered trees and ferns. On the opposite side of the river there are smaller falls that give the area a nice roar throughout the hike.
On the way back the trail basically makes a switchback and runs along the same side about 30 feet higher on the bank then the other trail. There isn't a lot of elevation gain on this except for the 30 or so feet between trails. It is enough to give the trail a different vibe on the way out then you get on the way in. Sort of just a higher aspect of things.
Once back at the base of the canyon prepare for the hike back up. You will swear that someone put in a couple extra switchbacks on you while you were gone. Like I mentioned earlier the grade is steep, up to 20% in places, and it feels like it takes twice as long to get up to the top.
It's a nice hike when you have a spare hour or so. It is also a nice hike to do with families and a chance to get some good photos.
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