Wallace Falls Hike in Washington: Complete Guide

Wallace Falls is a hike that keeps you hooked from start to finish. In just a few miles, you get a little bit of everything: mossy forests, a rushing river, sweeping views of the Cascade mountains, and of course, the waterfalls that give the trail its name.

But what a lot of people don’t realize is that Wallace Falls isn’t just one waterfall. It’s actually spread out over three areas. And you don’t have to hike the entire trail to experience the best of it.

In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know before hiking the Wallace Falls Trail, including how to get there, what to expect on the trail, and tips from our personal experience to help you make the most of your hike to these dramatic waterfalls in the Washington Cascades.

Wallace Falls Complete Hiking Guide

The Wallace Falls Trail takes you through moss-covered forest, over wooden bridges, and along a scenic route that follows the Wallace River to waterfalls: Lower, Middle, and Upper Wallace Falls.

The trail starts off wide and easy, following the Wallace River through a quiet stretch of forest. There are several small access points along the river, perfect for a quick break or even a swim on a hot day. Families and children sometimes hang out there, and it feels more like a forest park than a hike at first.

Eventually, the trail veers away from the river and starts to gradually gain elevation. Along the way, you’ll cross a few wooden bridges over mountain creeks before reaching the waterfall viewpoints.

There are 3 different Wallace Falls: Lower, Middle, and Upper:

Lower Wallace Falls

Lower Wallace Falls is the first major stop, and it actually includes two different vantage points. One overlook gives you a peek at the more distant cascades, while a lower viewpoint provides a view of a separate waterfall crashing into a gorge.

There’s also a resting pavilion and a steep side trail that leads down to the riverbank where you can get up close to the rushing water.

Middle Wallace Falls

In my opinion, Middle Wallace Falls is the most impressive waterfall of the hike. While the viewpoint isn’t super close to the waterfall itself, seeing the massive cascade tumble over the cliff is absolutely worth the effort.

Upper Wallace Falls

This final viewpoint of Upper Wallace Falls is a bit of a letdown compared to the others. The falls are partly obscured by trees, so you can’t see the entire thing. But if you’ve already made it that far, it’s worth the short final push just to say you’ve seen them all.

Wallace Falls Hiking Crowds

Wallace Falls is a notoriously busy hike, especially in the summer and on weekends. The large trailhead parking lot fills up fast, and there’s no overflow parking allowed on the road. If you visit on a weekend in the summer, it’s best to go early in the morning, like around 7 AM to secure a parking spot.

Alternatively, you can aim to get there around 10 AM, like we did. That’s when the first wave of hikers are getting off the trail, so you can take their parking spot when they leave. Another option is to get there in the late afternoon when most people are done hiking for the day. It’s such a popular spot that there is a Wallace Falls parking lot camera, so you can check how full the parking lot is.

Wallace Falls Hike Details

• Hike Distance: The total distance of the hike is about 5.2 miles out and back.
• Hike Duration: The hike takes about 3 hours total, including time spent stopping at the waterfall viewpoints to enjoy the views.
• Hike Difficulty: The Wallace Falls trail difficulty is moderate. The trail is in great shape and easy to follow, but it has a decent incline going up the trail.
• Hike Incline: The total incline for this hike is about 1300 feet. It is somewhat gradual at first, but gets a little steeper as it goes.
• Dogs are allowed on this trail, but must be on a leash.
• A Washington State Discover Pass is required to park at the trailhead for Wallace Falls.
• The parking lot for Wallace Falls is notoriously busy on summer weekends. Click here to see the Wallace Falls Parking Lot live camera.

How to Get to Wallace Falls

The Wallace Falls Trail is located just outside the small town of Gold Bar, Washington, off Highway 2. It’s about an hour and fifteen minutes from Seattle, making it a super popular day hike, especially on summer weekends.

There’s a large, official parking lot at the trailhead, but it fills up fast. And unlike many other trails in Washington, there’s no roadside overflow parking allowed there.

If the parking lot is full, your only real options are to wait for a spot to open up or pay to park nearby. We saw a guy down the road charging $10 to park in his yard.

The map location below for the parking area for Wallace Falls is accurate and can be used to navigate there.

Wallace Falls Hike: Our Experience

From the moment we hit the trail, it was clear the sun was going to be the theme of our day. A cloudless sky and relentless heat followed us every step of the way. Thankfully, we came prepared. We packed a lot more water than usual.

Our hike started along a wide gravel path that ran under power lines. Not exactly the most scenic beginning, and I knew this exposed sunny section would be even less fun on the way back. But soon enough, the trail dipped into the shade of the forest.

As we descended toward the Wallace River, things immediately improved. The forest canopy made the area much cooler, and we got our first glimpse of water.

The trail soon passed a few little access points to the river, where families and children were splashing around to escape the heat. I realized that this place was more than just a hiking trail. One spot even had a bench set up right on the riverbank. A nice little spot to just relax. If you’re visiting on a hot day, I recommend bringing a swimsuit since there are all sorts of little swim spots along the river.

From there, the trail crossed a couple of wooden bridges over mountain creeks. Everything was in great shape, and we loved being surrounded by tall trees, fresh air, and the subtle sound of rushing water.

But the sounds of the river began to fade as the trail climbed gently up the mountainside.

It didn’t take long before we reached the Lower Wallace Falls viewpoint. There were a few different spots to view the falls. Chloe darted over to one of the overlooks, though the view was partially obscured by trees. We wandered down to a lower viewpoint and it overlooked a different waterfall entirely. This one was much more intense as it plunged into a gorge.

I noticed a little side trail leading to the river, so we carefully made our way down. A big fallen tree was stretched across the riverbank, and we posted up there for a bit to enjoy being so close to the river.

From there, it wasn’t much further to the Middle Falls viewpoint, which, in my opinion, was the most spectacular of the three. The falls cascaded down over a cliff, and while we weren’t super close to them, I could tell that it was the biggest one.

A little further up the trail was the Valley Overlook. It was the first point where we got a clear view of how far we’d hiked up.

I looked out over the treetops, realizing how far we’d climbed. I’m always surprised at how much elevation hiking takes you up little by little, until you are literally 1000 feet above your starting point.

But the end of our trail was not much further.

Finally, we reached the Upper Wallace Falls viewpoint. And to be honest, it was a bit underwhelming. The falls were mostly hidden, and the viewing platform didn’t offer the same dramatic view as the middle or even the lower falls.

It was still a peaceful spot, though, and we took a few minutes to rest and enjoy the surroundings before heading back down the mountain.

Wallace Falls Hike Photos

More Hikes Near Highway 2 in Washington

We’re based in Seattle and have done a ton of hikes all along Highway 2 in Washington. To help fellow adventurers, we’ve put together guides to the best trails we found. You can check them out by clicking the links below.

• Our Favorite Highway 2 Hike: Lake 22
• Classic Washington multi-waterfall hike: Wallace Falls Hike
• Quick hike to a wooden tower: Heybrook Lookout
• A front-row seat to a massive, misty waterfall: Bridal Veil Falls Hike
• Trail through dense mossy forest to an alpine lake: Heather Lake
• Hike to a steamy hot spring in the forest: Scenic Hot Springs

I hope you enjoyed my guide to hiking the Wallace Falls Trail in Washington. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions 🐸