Wallace Falls

Drop everything

Is it plungeworthy?

265feet tall

A 3-tier plunge on Wallace River.

Scale59/60

Documentation15/20

Character20/20

The details

Tiers: 3 drops
Type: Tiered Plunge
Watercourse: Wallace River
Coordinates: 47.87391, -121.64945

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About Wallace Falls

Wallace Falls is a 265-foot tiered plunge in Washington, on Wallace River. The water falls in 3 distinct tiers.

Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.

Plungeworthy rates Wallace Falls 9.4/10 — drop everything. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Three tiers of the Wallace River stacked above the town of Gold Bar, climbed by the old-growth Woody Trail. The middle falls viewpoint — the one on the postcards — looks past the 265-foot main tier to the Skykomish valley and the Olympics beyond.

Getting there

Trailhead: Woody Trail, Wallace Falls State Park, off May Creek Road in Gold Bar
Parking: One day-use lot, commonly full by 11am on weekends
Road: Paved
Hike: 5.6 mi round trip, 1,300 ft of climb (moderate)
Heads up: Middle falls makes a shorter turnaround (~2.7 miles in); the full trail tops out at the upper falls. A 9.4-mile loop continues to Wallace Lake.

When to go

Fall through spring for full flow — this is a rain-fed river that swells with every storm. The trail stays open and snow-free most of the year; expect mud in the wet months and company on every fair-weather weekend.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Discover Pass — $10/day or $45/year
Dogs: Leashed
Hours: 8am–dusk
Camping: Walk-in tent sites and five reservable cabins in the park; backcountry sites at the lakes by permit
Warnings: The viewpoints overlook real drops — keep kids and dogs close.

Researched from WA State Parks — Wallace Falls · WTA — Wallace Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Wallace Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.