Catch The Thrill Of Washington’s Waterfall Season This Spring

Looking for peace and quiet with an amazing view? Maybe a short hike is in your future. Spring is waterfall season in Washington state. 

According to the seattletimes.com,
‘Spring is a perfect time to go chasing waterfalls. Melting winter snows create a high volume of cascading water and trails are beginning to clear. While not all trails are open quite yet, the following are some to inspire your springtime waterfall quests. Washington has more than 3,000 waterfalls to choose from, after all.’ 

With this article, we're going to focus on waterfalls that you can see in Western Washington. There are a few in Eastern Washington as well. Keep in mind that there's some hiking involved, so you'll want to be prepared. 

Where do you go? 

Let's start with Cathedral Falls. 

It's about a 1.8-mile hike. There's about 200 feet of elevation gain that you have to climb. You get there by way of goat creek trail which is on the North side of Mount Saint Helens.  

Bridal Veil Falls. 

This one is actually in an area that I'm kind of familiar with because it's located near Index WA. You will find it on the trail to Lake Serene. It's about a four-mile hike with about 1000 feet of elevation gain. When you're on the trail, you'll find a fork that divides and leads to either Bridal Veil Falls or Lake Serene. Keep to the right and keep climbing, it's worth the effort. 

Murhut falls. 

Murhut Falls is found near rd. 2530, Hoodsport, in Mason County. You will find yourself on a 1.6-mile trail with about 250 feet of elevation gain. This is in the Hood Canal portion of the Olympic National Forest, and the falls are spectacular. The trail is short but there's a lot of climbing involved, so be prepared. 

Lewis River Falls. 

Located in the Lower Falls Recreation area In Cowlitz County. You'll find an 8.8-mile Trail with about a 450-foot elevation gain. Lewis River Falls is actually a combination of several waterfalls and in the spring it's really quite lovely. The falls are divided into Lower Lewis River falls, Middle Lewis River Falls, and Upper Lewis River Falls. 

Cherry Creek Falls. 

You're looking at a five-mile hike with about 450 feet of elevation gain. You start at the Cherry Creek Falls trailhead near Duvall in King County. One thing to remember is that the trail head is actually on private property, so be respectful and don't park in areas that are marked for private parking. There are a few creek crossings on the trail, so you might get your feet wet. 

Remember, these are just a few ideas for Western Washington. In Eastern Washington you have waterfall hiking possibilities as well.