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Wallace Falls State Park
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
5 reviews for Wallace Falls State Park
I'm not sure why people don't like this hike. Sure, it's a little crowded on bright, sunny days. Sure, it's in .... yech.... Gold Bar. But if you take those two elements out of the game, it's a really fun hike to please a wide variety of people.
It's a very easy trail until you get past the first big falls. Past there it gets a little steeper. On the day we went, we got a late start, so we only made it to the second falls (middle falls?) before having to turn back. There are many benches and rest points along the hike, helping you catch your breath and admire the beautiful viewpoints. We didn't camp or stay in cabins or explore the rest of the park area except the hiking trails, so I can't comment to those, but all in all it was a fun hike and definitely one I'd like to do again.
Except next time I won't stop for lunch in Gold Bar. Don't even ask, I'm still scarred.
I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't love this hike. Once you pass under the power lines and into the tree line you are in for a beautiful hike.
There are various trails to the lower falls allowing you take the easiest of hikes (up the railroad grade) or a little more challenging along the Wallace River. The river trail is well shaded so you can even hike on rainy days without getting very wet. The lower falls is a great family hike while the middle and upper falls could be challenging to small children.
Wallace Falls also put in some cute overnight cabins that are available by reservation off the state parks website. They also added some more parking.
The best time to visit the falls is early in the morning or early evening. The middle of the day, especially on nice weekends, will bring in the most number of people.
Looking to eat in the area? I would recommend La Hacienda in Gold Bar or the Sultan Bakery in Sultan.
A pleasant hike through dense woods to a rushing river on the hottest, sunniest day of the year, with drafts of glacial water cooled air streaming through the trees is pretty much my idea of heaven. The trail to Wallace Falls delivers. Just don't expect it to deliver much privacy on a summer weekend. The large parking lot was nearly full when we arrived late on a Sunday afternoon and hikers abounded. Luckily we had reservations for one of the cabins and put off the hiking until Monday.
The cabins are fairly new and still look and feel new. The diary left on the table for vacationers to write in is a testament to how much people liked being there. I liked it as well, though the setting isn't perfect by any means. If you're sitting outside or have all the windows open you won't be able to escape hearing the snap, crackle and pop of the high-tension electrical lines running through the park. The five cabins are spaced for fairly decent privacy and the greenery between the cabins is growing enough that it will be better in a few years, but there's nothing special about the gravel yards or the view of hills. The cabins are very comfortably furnished with bunk beds, a futon couch/bed, end table and dining table with chairs, all done in solid lodgepole style. There's a lamp, electric lights and outlets and a garbage can. If it had a bathroom it could pass for a good motel room. I'm assuming that because the park bathroom was constructed long before the cabins a shower wasn't considered necessary since there are only two tent spaces in the park. The park office sells firewood and every cabin has a firepit, picnic table and a barbecue stand. I am trying very hard here to not let my preference for tent camping with lots of privacy and lots of trees sway my judgement. These cabins are really good for people who want that kind of thing. People like my kids who don't really like camping because of "all the bugs." Sometimes it's hard to remember I gave birth to these people. There's also a large covered porch which was the perfect place to watch a "once in a decade" lightning storm.
The well maintained trail to the falls is rated "medium" and while you don't have to be in great shape to make it the 1.8 miles to the Lower Falls, you'll go pretty slow up the steeper grades if you aren't in moderate shape. The viewpoint at the Lower Falls is my favorite with a couple of choice spots for different aspects of the falls. Hiking on a weekday is not crowded. We passed a handful of people, and being only in moderate shape myself a handful of people passed me. We didn't make the 6 mile trip to Wallace Lake, but I do intend to go back and try it since it's only one exact hour from my home in northeast Seattle to the parking lot at Wallace Falls. I probably won't sleep here again though. I just can't call it camping if it doesn't involve a tent. And bugs.
This is a pretty little park that offers some hiking trails, picnic facilities, camping (which I did not see), and a few waterfalls. The waterfalls are pretty, but not spectacular. I recommend hiking up to Middle Falls, where the best view is. The hike to the top is only worth it for the exercise (nice and steep) as the view if far inferior to the view at Middle Falls. There is also a small guided nature path (aimed at kids).
While I liked this park fine, I'm not in a rush to go back. Here's why:
1) It's pretty crowded. The small number of trails means that they are all rather full -- I prefer my hikes to be more solitary.
2) Lots of kids running around. While I'm all for kids enjoying nature, I prefer peace and quiet.
3) The crowd is a bit white trash...I saw some guys drinking some tallboys while listening to the radio on the trail. I also had a meathead bump me off the trail at one point.
I guess we went at the right time because it was actually very pleasant. It was cold and a bit drizzly, so maybe that deterred most of the hikers and it was a quiet and pleasant hike. The hike was very pleasant with nice terrain, bridges, even benches along the way. I actually camped here because most of the campsites in the national forest nearby are still closed (snow!). There are only 2 campsites (first come, first serve) at $17/night and maybe 5 or 6 cabins at $48/night. Large parking lot, so I imagine they built it to accomodate the many visitors that come through, but not having seen that, I had a very lovely visit.