You know you have adapted to the Northwest when despite a 100% chance of rain, you are going hiking. Off we went a few weekends ago to Wallace Park State Park.
While the park was in the Cascade Foothills, a couple hours north east of Tacoma, it was worth the drive since it is one of the first places we have found to hike in Washington where a day hike can actually get you to a sight. And what a beautiful sight.
The trail is 2.75 miles each way. It starts rising gradually along the Wallace River.
After a short time, the terrain begins to climb farther above the river. Soon, we arrived at the lower falls and a nice picnic shelter, very useful on such a rainy day. The lower falls are easy to miss because the view point is tucked down the hill behind the picnic shelter. The best view of the falls is at the lower falls since the span from lower to middle falls can all be taken in with one view.
After another mile of steeper trail, we got to the most spectacular of the falls, the middle falls. The middle falls are a 265 foot drop and provide all the mist and noise you would expect from a waterfall.
While the park was in the Cascade Foothills, a couple hours north east of Tacoma, it was worth the drive since it is one of the first places we have found to hike in Washington where a day hike can actually get you to a sight. And what a beautiful sight.
The trail is 2.75 miles each way. It starts rising gradually along the Wallace River.
After a short time, the terrain begins to climb farther above the river. Soon, we arrived at the lower falls and a nice picnic shelter, very useful on such a rainy day. The lower falls are easy to miss because the view point is tucked down the hill behind the picnic shelter. The best view of the falls is at the lower falls since the span from lower to middle falls can all be taken in with one view.
After another mile of steeper trail, we got to the most spectacular of the falls, the middle falls. The middle falls are a 265 foot drop and provide all the mist and noise you would expect from a waterfall.
A short distance later brought us to the top of the trail and the upper falls. The upper falls were definitely more of a gradual cascade. At that point in the trail, we had reached the edge of the in-bounds state park land and turned for the downhill hike back to the parking lot. By the end of the day, our whole party was soaked to the bone except the one person who had smartly wore rain pants. Luckily, we didn't have to drive too far outside the park entrance to find a coffee stand. Typical Northwest - lots of rain and plenty of options for a hot beverage.
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