TRAILHEAD: Lower Falls Recreation Area. For the fastest drive from Portland with less traffic (90 mi, less than 2 hours), take I-84 E to exit 44 (Cascade Locks), continue under Bridge of the Gods and turn right up the circle to cross over it into Washington after paying the toll, turn right on WA-14 E 5¾ mi, turn left (N) through Carson on Wind River Road (FR-30) 14 mi NW (¼ mi past National Fish Hatchery), turn right to stay on FR-30 for 12¾ mi (toward Ape Cave), turn left on Curly Creek Road almost 5 mi, turn right on rougher FR-90 about 9½ mi (at 7¾ mi the road turns to gravel with many potholes but not bad for only ½ mi), turn right into the day use area at Lower Falls Recreation Area and right again into the loop to park near the restrooms. Quartz Creek (Lewis River) TH is 2¾ mi farther on FR-90. Alternately from Portland take I-5 N to exit 21 (Woodland/Mount St. Helens), turn right on Lewis River Road (WA-503) 28 mi to Cougar, then into rougher FR-90 E, less than 20 mi along the third consecutive large reservoir (Lake Merwin, Yale Lake, and Swift Reservoir in that order), turn right after the last one (just past Pine Creek Information Center) to stay on FR-90 E (toward Carson, opposite FR-25, watching for deer) crossing the bridge at the E end of the reservoirs and continue almost 14 mi (½ mi of rougher gravel road with potholes near end), turn right into Lower Falls Recreation Area and right again into the loop to park near the restrooms (92 mi, 2½ hours from Portland). Bring a shuttle bike or vehicle for a one-way hike to/from Quartz Creek (Lewis River) TH.
Smaller cascades on mossy Alec Creek rushing toward the Lewis River.
ROUTE: Take the main signed Lewis River Trail 31 left of the restroom or any one of the trails past the restroom only 50–100 ft to a couple great official overlooks of Lower Lewis River Falls (43 ft high, up to 200 ft wide). These are one of the most dramatic falls right off the bat and look brilliant regardless of the water flow, just like most of the neighboring falls. You can walk right on the main trail a few feet and hike down one of the super-steep bushwhack paths closer to the river for other angles if you desire, but none are too great. Try the one opposite a short spur path to the right which leads toward a small waterfall off a nearby creek, if any.
Frozen in time are Upper Lewis River Falls from the highest viewpoint.
Follow Lewis River Trail 31 N near the edge of the bluff and stay to the right, along the river with more views of the waterfall. Other paths join from the campground on the left near another outhouse as you ascend the hill gently E of the campground and parallel closer to FR-90 for a bit. Then head downhill past huge Douglas firs and cross one creek and a small bridge to a larger footbridge with a thin little waterfall just below it at 1 mi from the campground. Ignore other trails coming down from FR-90 and from Middle Falls TH for now. Copper Creek Falls (26-ft plunge) is on the Middle Falls loop, a possible variation on the return to add almost a mile mostly for exercise. You may also be rerouted toward Middle Falls TH on the up and down loop back to Trail 31 in case of slides lower on Copper Creek.
For an interesting waterfall excursion with very little effort, try Curly Creek Falls from milepost 20½ off FR-90 onto FR-9039 for exactly 1 mi W to signed parking on the left. Walk left of the vault toilet, turning right at the immediate fork 100 ft to the log pole fenced viewing area of the splendid 86-ft falls in two drops. Then continue briefly to another viewing area and, bonus, this one for the narrower Miller Creek Falls plunging 66 ft into a pool (less than ½ mi and 20 minutes round-trip; flat, wide path).
At more than 1½ mi from the TH on Trail 31 arrive at another decent footbridge, this one over Copper Creek. Lower Copper Creek Falls cascades as a washboard directly below the bridge in a couple tiers (more than 32 ft total) with the lower one almost out of sight; an easy bushwhack path between the tiers lies 75 ft farther if you wish. Follow the clear river briefly to Middle Lewis River Falls (33 ft high, up to 300 ft wide, gentle sliding cascade) visible from a tough angle. The trail soon turns under a wall of tears as the overhanging cliff drips (or pours) onto you and the moss-covered steep forest.
It’s ¾ mi from the Middle Falls TH as you pass another waterfall very similar to Middle Lewis River Falls on the trail to Upper Lewis River Falls (58 ft high, 175 ft wide). These are the tallest of the area’s falls with a few amazing angles, the worst through the trees and brush covering part of a rocky beach as you first see the waterfall. Work to the river’s edge with some difficulty for that faraway shot or simply continue over another bridge to a switchback near the base of the falls where you can scramble down the larger rocks 30 ft to the shore for the best look across the beautiful water. During low flow the curtain is reduced to streaming cascade on the far left.
Continue to hike steeper less than ½ mi up to Taitnapum Falls (16 ft high, 60 ft wide) before you call it a day with one worthwhile bushwhack path down to the top of Upper Lewis River Falls along the way. Take the spur easily 100 ft to the old log pole “fencing” or better yet move to the space between two fallen trees down to the left being very cautious near the edge. The larger of those trees works great to steady your camera if you don’t mind the carpenter ants. While being only a few feet away from the very top of the cascade the falls feel more powerful here than at any other point on the hike! The final waterfall is easy to see from a signed perch above them 10 ft off the main trail to the right. Quartz Creek TH on FR-90 is about ¾ mi farther so return back 3 mi and an hour W the same route to the day use area main TH on Trail 31 when you are ready.
| 2 | LEMEI ROCK LOOP |
ELEVATION: 5926 ft on top of Lemei Rock; 5685 ft at Lake Wapiki overlook; 5237 ft at the saddle N of Bird Mountain; with vertical gains of 1925 ft, plus 100 ft for Lake Wapiki overlook; 1235 ft for Bird Mountain loop without Lemei Rock (plus 400 ft for Junction Lake loop)
DISTANCE: 3½ mi one way to Lemei Rock with Lake Wapiki overlook, 7½ mi round-trip no loops; more than 9½ mi round-trip including Bird Mountain loop (6¾ mi Bird Mountain loop alone); 10 mi round-trip Junction Lake loop and Bird Mountain loop without Lemei Rock and Lake Wapiki overlook
DURATION: 3–5 hours round-trip for all routes
DIFFICULTY: Mix of moderate for most routes (steeps near TH and on Trail 108, wide trails, well-traveled, mosquitoes, GPS device helpful) and strenuous for Lemei Rock (scrambling, mostly stable rock, route-finding, very steep, narrow ridgetop, some exposure)
TRIP REPORT: This listing encompasses several hike and loop options within one, the most popular being a trek up Lemei Rock (pronounced LEM-ee-eye), a break at Lake Wapiki overlook, then a loop around Bird Mountain to the same TH. You can also omit Bird Mountain or Lemei Rock and the overlook and venture farther past several more excellent lakes on a Junction Lake loop, then finish directly or add Bird Mountain or Lemei Rock and the overlook. There are around 175 lakes total (when the snow finally melts off by July) in Indian Heaven Wilderness (southernmost Cascades in Washington) worth revisiting many times, but remember to bring bug