Hike to Falls View Canyon
If you’ve ever taken the scenic drive on US-101 north of Olympia, you’ll know that, while beautiful, it can get a little pokey. Falls View Canyon is an easy road trip stop where you can stretch your legs and enjoy some amazing scenery. A gentle quarter-mile walk will bring you to a viewpoint overlooking a lovely unnamed waterfall. Turn around here or continue down into the canyon for a longer hike by the Big Quilcene River. Here is everything you need to know about hiking the Falls View Canyon Trail.
Stream along the Falls View Canyon Trail
Know before you go
It’s free to visit Falls View Canyon. You don’t need a pass or permit to park.
The hike starts from the Falls View Campground. Park in front of the gate when it’s closed. It’s always been closed when I’ve visited.
Vault toilets are open seasonally in the summer.
Leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.
A few picnic tables are near the Falls Viewpoint.
If you just want to see the waterfall, it’s a flat and easy 0.5-mile out-and-back walk from the gate. The Falls View Trail starts from the viewpoint and continues along the Big Quilcene River after a steep descent into the canyon.
Park, walk around the gate, and head left
The Falls Viewpoint
The Falls Viewpoint is about 0.2 miles from the campground gate. The way is flat and even enough to push a stroller. Once you walk around the gate, head left. Keep left again when you see the fork in the road (follow the arrow).
Keep left here
You’ll pass by a logged area before reaching some nice big trees. Continue past the campsites until you reach the viewpoint. The restroom building is on the way.
The Falls Viewpoint is just ahead
When you reach the trailhead sign, take the path to the right of it. The viewpoint is about 10 steps ahead. Here, you’ll have the best view of the waterfall from above. A fence keeps it family-friendly despite the drop-off. You get a sense of the waterfall’s 250-foot height despite the tree cover. It’s most interesting from late fall through spring. In the summer, it slows to a trickle. Strangely, this waterfall has no official name. I’ve seen it called Falls View Falls, just to call it something.
Falls View Falls
The Falls Viewpoint also looks out over Falls View Canyon. The Big Quilcene River flows at its base. The fog that settles over the conifer-covered hills is at least as captivating as the waterfall.
Falls View Canyon
After seeing views from above, you can finish the little 0.1-mile loop and then return the way you came for a quick and easy stop. If you’d like to see more, continue onto the Falls View Canyon Trail. You won’t get better views of the waterfall, but it’s a scenic trail with views of the river along the way.
On the trail to Falls View Canyon
Distance: 1.8-mile lollipop loop
Elevation gain: 400 feet
Difficulty: Easy/moderate
Pass required: None
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.
ADA access: The trail to the Falls Viewpoint is flat and even. Beyond the viewpoint, the descent into the canyon is steep, narrow, and uneven. If the gate is closed, it would be difficult to get around it with an assistive device or wheelchair.
Season: All year. The waterfall and the river are most impressive in winter and spring.
The details
After seeing Falls Viewpoint, head back to the sign and take the trail that starts behind it, the Falls View Canyon Trail.
Take the trail behind the sign
The trail begins descending into the canyon. Switchbacks and stairs keep it from getting intense, but you’ll be thinking about the return journey the whole way down. The downhill doesn’t last long. You’ll reach the base of the canyon in 0.2 miles.
The Falls View Canyon Trail descends to the river
The forest around the Falls View Canyon Trail is thick and lush. Tall moss-covered Doug firs and cedars shade the undergrowth of ferns, salal, and evergreen huckleberries.
One of several staircases on the way down
Once you reach the bottom of the hill, you’ll be next to the Big Quilcene River. I’d argue the river view here is the best of the hike, more impressive than the partially obstructed waterfall view from above. You can walk out onto the rocks along the riverbank to see the river from a clear angle.
Big Quilcene River
If you look to the right, you’ll see another glimpse of the waterfall, although the tree cover makes it no more than a sliver.
The waterfall you can almost see
After spending a moment by the river, take the footbridge over the stream to continue on the Falls View Canyon Trail.
Cross here
The rest of the hike follows the Big Quilcene River at the base of Falls View Canyon. Moss looks like it’s slowly consuming the forest. A thick carpet covers the ground, rocks, logs, and trees. Even in the middle of winter, everywhere you look is green.
The Falls View Canyon Trail explores an old-growth forest
You’ll see the river next to you as you walk, partially screened by the dense tree cover. The pearly blue of the water stands out amid the subdued colors of a mid-winter forest. After 0.3 miles along the river, you’ll reach a fork that begins the loop at the end of the hike. You can go either way. The fork to the right begins the loop counterclockwise and continues next to the river.
One of many glimpses of the river
In 0.2 miles, you’ll reach the far end of the loop. Below the trail is an impressive section of rapids and some large boulders. After a look at the rapids, the trail veers left and begins the return journey.
The loop ends next to river rapids
After a last look at the river, keep going around the loop. This side is too far from the river to see the water.
Last look at the river
From here, you’ll finish the loop through the forest. When it meets back up with the main trail, keep right.
Mist settles in the forest on the return journey
Then, return the way you came. I’m afraid the uphill at the end will be waiting.
Salal grows on a fallen log
Enjoy your hike on the Falls View Canyon Trail!
With love,
Emma
Getting there
To reach the Falls View Canyon Trailhead, navigate to the Falls View Campground. It’s on US-101, about 40 minutes south of Port Townsend and 10 minutes north of Brinnon, Washington. Park by the campground sign.
The drive from Seattle takes 2 hours. From Portland, 3 hours.
Turn here and park
Rocky Brook Falls
Rocky Brook Falls
Only 15 away from Falls View Canyon on US-101, Rocky Brook Falls is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most underrated waterfalls. To find it, turn onto Dosewallips Rd in Brinnon, Washington, and drive for 3 miles. Park on the gravel shoulder and follow an easy trail about 200 feet to Rocky Brook Falls. The part you see is technically the lowest tier of a larger waterfall. The upper parts are hidden from view and on private property. The visible tier is a 250-foot horsetail waterfall that surges in winter. By late summer, it will be a calm trickle.
Explore nearby
Check out the best things to do in Port Townsend.
Find the Pacific Northwest Trolls.
