Hike to Wallace Falls

Wallace Falls is located in Gold Bar, Washington, in the Central Cascades. The hike is a little less than six miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of about 1300 ft and a highest point of about 1600 ft. This is a beautiful hike in the forest. The hike first starts off fairly flat, hiking along a raging river. The trail starts to gain elevation (which increases more and more the higher up you get to the peak), but you’ll soon reach what is considered the Lower Falls when you find an open view to the falls and a covered picnic location, a couple miles from the start. Hike up a little more, the incline increases some, but in less than half a mile you reach the Middle Falls. The Middle Falls has a nice sitting location where the view of the falls expands even further out, giving spectators a gorgeous view of the rolling hills. To reach the Upper Falls, another half mile is required, going up a very steep incline and crossing over multiple switchbacks. It’s rough but it’s worth it at the top when you get an amazing view of the waterfall. It’s possible to hike up the trail (from trailhead to peak) in about 1.5 hours. The way back down is much easier since it is all essentially downhill, and you can cut your time down greatly. I was able to collect 2 full bags of trash to pack out, this trail is well used so remember to pack everything out. A bonus for this hike is that it is all through forest which gives you a great amount of shade from the sun and heat. It’s also a great workout to get up to the Middle and Upper Falls. In general this is a great hike and it's also family friendly. I’d recommend this hike to anyone who is new to hiking.