Wallace Falls State Park 🌳 - Gold Bar, Washington

Wallace Falls is located 56 miles northeast of Seattle in a town called Gold Bar, WA. It's $10 to park. They have a self-use kiosk to swipe your credit card. The primary purpose for exploring Wallace Falls is getting to observe 3 waterfalls...the Lower Falls, Middle and Upper Falls. These waterfalls can be reached along a 5.5 mile roundtrip hike, with barely much elevation. Most of the trail navigates through the forest and conditions can be ideal for visiting in late summertime. 4 - 5 hours is enough time for experiencing Wallace Falls unless you get out on some of the more remote paths like Greg Ball Trail, Woody Trail, the Upper Grade and the Old Railroad Grade - DNR Road. To be exact on distances... - 1.8 miles to the Lower Falls - 2.1 miles to the Middle Falls - 2.75 miles to the Upper Falls Lower Falls is a small waterfall gently splashing down into the Wallace River. Although there were no warning signs preventing access, some visitors hopped the fence, climbed on the rocks and went swimming here. I don't know if you're allowed to do it. I would caution against it, but that's just my opinion. Lower Falls is okay at best. The Middle Falls may have the best reputation for appearing dramatic looking at 367 feet total broken up into 3 tiers. The problem is...the focal point part of Middle Falls (the 265 foot drop) is situated really far in the backdrop and you have to zoom in with your phone to capture the moment. It's not like you're confronting it face to face. Selfie taking had minimal impact for me. For the Upper Falls if anything, the last 6/10th's of a mile trek will have the most elevation out of the entire journey. But it's just navigating up a staircase and through switchbacks. The Upper Falls is 240 feet tall (broken down into 5 separate tiers), but it's much closer to the observation point compared to the Middle Falls. You'll be able to see 2 of the 5 sections of the Upper Falls here and the bigger drop had some adventurous people repelling down the cliffside. That added to the photography. I believe this Upper Falls is the most rewarding of all 3 viewpoints. Finally, return back to the parking lot unless you're continuing onwards for more hiking. In total, Wallace Falls wasn’t as accessible of an experience as I was anticipating and compared to the many majestic waterfalls around the Washington and Oregon corridor of the Pacific Northwest, it leaves more to be desired. #wallacefalls #stateparks #goldbar #washington #waterfalladventures #hikingadventures #hikingtrails #greatoutdoors #nature #pacificnorthwest #seattle