This place is a hidden gem! It has a very isolated feeling to it. The falls flow steadily into a…read morebeautiful oasis of crystal clear water that outlets into a peaceful creek. The hike to the falls is less than a mile from the trailhead with a 200ft elevation gain. Bringing your whole family to appreciate its beauty shouldn't be much of an issue. I'm almost hesitant to write this review based on some of the disrespect I've seen for the nature in surrounding areas ie; Trash left behind by visitors and people engraving their Initials and other things on the trees/earth. Im hoping my review brings people to want to visit this great spot that our national parks/Forests have to offer! Map: Green Trails Grisdale No. 198 GPS GRID: N 47 21.227 W 123 33.912 Directions: - travel north on Forrest Road 22 "Wynoochee Road" -Turn right on Forrest Road 23 and take for 17 miles - the trailhead sign "spoon creek falls" will be on your right. PLEASE Practice "LEAVE NO TRACE"

Great place to clear your mind with all the beautiful natural landscape. I would recommend wearing…read morea long sleeve/pants while doing the hike down due to overgrown bushes and maybe water shoes. Today I didn't get my feet wet but previously we went during rainy times and we had to cross path in water to reach the waterfall. Kinda hard to find since not a lot of signs but my phone navigation got me there. Not much or no cell service. So if needed print it out. Just past the entrance to the waterfall is a fire pit area for possible day camp. Today someone had a tent in this location.Beautiful waterfall with such clear water. Very peaceful and quite.

We loved this easy and fun path. It was an easy hike for the whole family. Many paths if you want…read moreto continue after the falls. It was not too busy during the week but can see it could get busy during the weekend. Easy access to parking which is a plus!

SO BEAUTIFUL!!! literally one of the best shorter trails around this area with a couple hidden…read morewaterfalls if you look around enough if you go up the path on the right and then on the way back take the road it feels like you make it back so much quicker (as someone who hates walking back on trails)

One of my favorite waterfalls in Washington. Great trail and drive up to the trail. You park and…read moreturn around, and the trail is right there. I wish there was a sign because you'll get asked a lot, "Is that the trail?" To access the waterfall, if you want to get great shots of the waterfall, you have to climb down to it. We weren't able to because we have an 8-month-old. But we used to climb down to the waterfall years ago. It's a must! Our first time at this hike was 6 years ago, and we've done it a handful of times since then. I do want to say every time we have come there, there are hardly any people on the trail. Most people will scramble down by the waterfall. It's fun. You do see people turn around at the tree/bench because it's a steep climb down. But you are able to still see the waterfall. Parking: There are about maybe 10 cars that can fit, and then parking a couple of feet ahead. Restroom: None

Such a nice hike. Very lush foliage and trees, and is a short out and back, roughly 1.6 miles. Very…read morelow elevation gain, family and dog friendly. There is some parking available right across from the trailhead. There are a lot of small fallen trees, probably due to that huge windstorm that happened a couple weeks ago. There is one tree you will have to climb over. I'm 5'0 and it was tall enough where I was almost sitting on it when I walked over it. And best of all the waterfall is spectacular! Definitely won't disappoint. I don't know how it is in the summer. There are also smaller water falls you can see on the way there.

Information on documents from September 2024…read more Beautiful location. Great for people of all ages.

Finally got up to the Staircase area last week. Great time to visit, although the gorgeous…read morecampground isn't open the trails were practically empty. You have to park near the Lake Cushman day use area, as the road into Staircase is closed for the season. We took the rapid loop trail first. The trail was fun, not too muddy, and an easy 2 1/2 miles including the short out & back to the big cedar. The trees are beautiful and the waters crystal clear. We also decided to take the Shady Lane Trail, just to take a different trail back to the van and day use. This trail was nice, but it wasn't in quite as good of shape right now. The lake was lovely too. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the day use, and got gorgeous aerial pics of its clear waters and massive boulders. The Staircase area is just beautiful. While I would've loved to stay at the campground, I prefer the peacefulness of the trails at this time of year.

This is a lovely hike, about a mile each way to the falls. I personally found it pretty easy, but…read moreif you have less stamina or arthritis (ie my mother), it's a little challenging. Nevertheless - she was able to do it ok! She just had to stop for a couple breaks along the way. The entire trail is very scenic, there are many cool trees and vegetation plus streams and little bridges along the way, so great for pics! The falls are ofc magical as well. PLEASE heed the park sign's warnings and don't climb the railings, it's so dangerous :( people have gotten killed doing that. But if you keep to where you're supposed to, this trail is absolutely very safe :) The car park is a good size. I came on a Tuesday around 8am, and we had no trouble getting a spot, but this is a famous trail: we noticed on the way out that there were no spots left. Someone immediately took ours when we drove off, so plan accordingly! And ofc they have some NPS bathrooms available here, glorified portapotties in the little cubicle rooms, and hand sanitizer available but no running water.

The hike to Sol Duc Falls was another enjoyable hike that I did while visiting Olympic National…read morePark. Sol Duc Valley in Olympic National Park is a pretty area that has towering evergreens. The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is also in this valley. The Sol Duc Trail to the falls is a two-mile drive from the resort and is a easy hike to do. The trail itself is less than a mile long and is shaded with a dense forest canopy. After you cross over a small stream on a bridge, you will see the waterfall tumbling over moss-covered rocks. There are many ways to view Sol Duc Falls. It splits into four channels that cascades 48-feet into a narrow canyon. At certain times of the day, you can see rainbows in the mist surrounding the falls. I was able to take photos of many angles of these falls with my camera. I just wished I had my tripod with me. After spending time here at Sol Duc Falls, you have the option to continue your hike to Deer Lake or turn around and go back to the parking lot.

Great work out on this hike. Make sure you turn left at some point or you'll just be walking…read morestraight on a flat pretty walk, which could be really nice. But most people go for the nice Mountain View. There's a short cut to get to the top, but I don't recommend if you have littles with you. When you reach somewhat of the top you'll think that's it but keep following the trail, the top will have a few picnic tables and a metal gate next to big rocks to take pictures! Dog friendly hike. Very enjoyable. Make sure you have a discovery pass. You can grab it at REI or online.

I had an amazing 3 hour hike here yesterday. I did the Davis trail to the Tin Mine trail. The…read moreelevation changes are so slight that it's more of a pleasant stroll than a workout. The end of Tin Mine did get a bit hairy as it feels like you're walking through a rocky rutted stream bed. The waterfalls near the trail head are really nice.

The coal creek nature area is like a secret forest. Hidden in between Coal Creek Parkway and…read moredifferent neighborhoods bordering Bellevue and Newcastle. The waterfall here is dependent on the weather. Tucked into a small creek/canyon area. The trail is beautiful and loads of ferns everywhere. The green state really shines down in this area too. Of course in the summer it becomes a bit browner. Springtime and the blackberry bushes line certain parts of the trails. Trail access varies depending on where you go. Various signage gives you a history of the area. So lucky to have access to this lovely trail. Get out there and enjoy life. SYOY!

It was a beautiful day for a hike and we decided to check out Coal Creek Falls Trail…read more It was so peaceful and very pretty. Just what we both needed after a hectic work week. What was really interesting to us, was a long the trail there were signs giving the coal mining history along the trail. There are multiple trails to explore and I look forward to coming back another time to explore some of the other trails. They also have horse trails, which is pretty cool. I just need to find a horse and learn how to ride one.

I was staying on the peninsula for work. However, I had the later shift, so I had time to explore…read moreduring the day. Searching for waterfalls with easy access, I found Rocky Brook Falls! A few minutes drive off of 101 in Brinnon, WA you'll find Rocky Brook Falls. Across the street are a few parking spots, but beware that side is private property and there are a bunch of no trespassing signs. The entrance to the trail was not obvious to me. So I took some photos showing the path. But it's a short walk to the falls, which by the way, was a lot larger than I thought it would be! You will have to climb over some boulders to access the pool at the base of the falls, so just be aware of that. I came on a summer weekday, so there was only another couple with their dog there. You practically had the place to yourself! It has been one of the dryer summers, so I imagine after a good rainfall, the falls would be roaring and serene. Also note, there are no bathroom facilities and no cell service in the immediate area.

What an easy hike to an unpopulated waterfall with wading, swimming, and jumping options. I don't…read morethink it gets better than this for a hidden treasure. I highly recommend. Bring some Keens or other water shoes as you have to scrabble over some larger boulders at the edge of the pool - but to keep it real, I wore flip flops. There is a dirt parking lot on left side . Cross over the road and hike the trail on the right side.

Another beautiful rainforest in Olympic Park. Good parking, easy walking path and picnic tables. We…read morewalked down to the lake, it was a easy path. We did drive the 3 mile ring around the lake. You will see watefalls, beautiful lakes and wildlife. The air was so refreshing and clean. We timed this trip, to make sure it wasnt over run with tourist. We walked to the ranger station, and walked around the musuem. This was a nice stop as well. I loved all the totem poles! @noirvedanaturals

"Valley of the Rain Forest Giants"…read more I spent the last day of my trip to Washington in the Quinault Valley next to Lake Quinault. Quinault is located in the southwestern area of Olympic National Park. One way to experience this Valley is to drive the scenic 30 mile loop drive around Lake Quinault, up the Quinault River into Olympic National Park, and back around the other side. There are opportunities to see waterfalls and wildlife on this drive. I personally like to get out of the car and experience nature in person on a hike. In this Valley is the Quinault Rain Forest. This forest is a temperate rain forest that receives an average of 17 feet of rain per year. The Quinault Rain Forest is known for its lush, moss-covered trees and ferns. The Quinault Rainforest Nature Loop is a short easy hike that allows you to get up and close to this rain forest. The trail takes you through an old-growth forest all the way down to Willaby Creek. You can go either way to start the loop hike. Along the way, you will see massive trees, nurse logs, a small waterfall and lots of moss. I personally enjoyed all of the different colored Hydrangea everywhere. There are lots of things to discover on this trail. You might even spot some wildlife. This was my first visit to this area. I decided to stop at the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station first to learn more about the Quinault Valley. There was a park ranger on hand that answered my questions about the Quinault Rain Forest and how to get to my hotel. He gave me a paper map of some of the nearby hiking trails. You can also pick up a map at Quinault Lodge.

Beautiful and accessible to people,dogs,bikes etc. great amenity for a small but awesome communityread more

Very convenient and nicely maintained "park" with an old railroad bridge over the river. The trail,…read morewhich is paved, is part of a larger walking and cycling trail that winds through this part of town. I put park in quote marks because it's really just those two things - a walking/cycling trail and a bridge. There isn't any large grassy areas, for instance. I wouldn't say that going down to the water was encouraged yet there were some folks down there. Lots of people with relatives, kids, dogs, lots of cyclists going both directions. It is a birding draw - although the birds were being coy on the day we were there. Importantly, it is right next to (meaning the bridge is right next to) the Dungeness River Nature Center, which is definitely worth checking out and won't slow you down if you are antsy to walk/jog/cycle - it's small but very nice (reviewed separately). As an FYI and this is not something you should be worried about necessarily but this area does have coyotes - more so at night.