Wallace Falls State Park

As I write this, I'm perched precariously as to avoid sitting on my bruised tailbone that I earned this week. Sean says I'm clumsy, but I like to think of myself as being frequently "in touch" with the earth...yes...the ground and I are good friends. Wouldn't you agree though, that bruised tailbones, soaking wet clothes, and aching muscles are a small price to pay for experiencing the beauty of this great state we call home?

This Sunday, Sean and I decided to have church outdoors and headed out to Wallace Falls State Park. After a little under an hour and a half of driving, we arrived at the park to find it packed full of people, which is annoying for hiking but exciting for our park system! It was the ideal day for hiking; high clouds, cool air, and not a rain drop in sight. I made my customary ISPR (Inspection of State Park Restrooms), and once it was found to be up to my standard of cleanliness, we hit the trail. 

(The first part of Woody Trail)

As this was our first hike of the season, my legs greatly appreciated the gentle incline at the beginning of the trail until we had to split to follow the Woody Trail that follows the Wallace River. After the longest .3 of a mile I've never complained about, we found a picnic shelter right along the Lower Falls and took a break. We chatted with two women who were in their seventies and I immediately decided that I couldn't lose face in front of these kick-ass ladies (and I'd better darn still be hiking when I'm seventy!) so we quickly made our way up to the Middle Falls look-out. 

(Lower Falls Look-out)

(My handsome hiking parter)

The Middle Falls are spectacular and provide a chance to rest before tackling the switchbacks leading up to the Valley Overlook area. I've decided that I love taking our camera out on hikes because it provides me with as many breaks as I want under the pretense of "artistic inspiration." I can, however, only take so many of those before Sean starts rolling his eyes and asking how this moss-covered rock is any different than the one we saw 300 yards before. What-EVER Sean, you just don't un.der.stand.

(Middle Falls look-out)

After the Middle Falls look-out, there's .75 miles of switchbacks left until the Upper Falls. I tightened my backpack straps, took a deep breath and we started our way up the hill where we very quickly reached the most breathtaking view. 

(Sean at the Valley Overlook)

I gave Sean a high-five and commented on how that .75 miles seemed FAR easier than the .3 of a mile we encountered at the beginning of the trail. I had read a review that said that the Upper Falls was nothing spectacular and in thinking that we had made it to the Upper Falls, I decided to never trust another review again. 

(Middle Falls over Granite)

(The upper part of the Middle Falls at the Valley Overlook)

We ate our lunch, snapped some photos, and took the time to soak in the tremendous beauty of the valley. As we were leaving, we took another look at the sign and realized that we had been enjoying the Valley Overlook and indeed NOT the Upper Falls. "Ahhhh" I thought, "That's why that was the fastest .75 of a mile ever. LIES."

(Rails at Middle Falls)

(The WTA has done a spectacular job maintaining the trails and keeping them safe!)

After a few choice words on my part, we decided to head another half-mile up the hill to the Upper Falls. In my opinion, the review was true; the overlook wasn't that great, but there were some gorgeous trees up there with lovely moss patterns on them. 

We were quite impressed with the condition that this park is in! The Washington Trails Association has done a lot of work here in the past few years and it definitely shows. The trails were clear and well maintained, there were maps throughout the trail and excellent signage at every fork (we just have troubles interpreting the signs...) We plan on heading back there later this summer and discovering the remote backpacking camping sites available on Wallace Lake. 

For more information please visit: Complete Information for Wallace Falls State Park (parks.wa.gov)

                                                    - Washington Trails Association - Wallace Falls Hike (WTA)

Happy Adventuring!

-Rachel and Sean 

Scenic Beach State Park (Our First Visit!)

(A view of the Olympics across Hood Canal from Scenic Beach State Park)

Sean and I deliberated over which park to choose to kick off our new adventure. Did we want trees or open space, ocean or river, east or west, long or short drive? We changed our minds a few times but we finally settled on Scenic Beach State Park on the Hood Canal. At the very least it had to be pretty, because otherwise it would have to have been a victim of terribly false advertising. (Thankfully, it lived up to its name!)

(Sean in his Captain Morgan pose)

Sean and I both dearly love the Washington State Ferries, so we decided to ride the one from West Seattle to Southworth, with a stop on Vashon Island. Fun fact: when Sean and I used to live in West Seattle, we would head down to Lincoln Park every chance we'd get and I'd always tell him that someday, I wanted to ride that ferry that took off from that dock. It was every bit as beautiful as I'd always hoped it would be! We stopped for lunch in Silverdale because we were both ridiculously cranky and then we headed out to the park in a much improved mood.

(The picnic space in the forest overlooking Hood Canal)

This park was so picturesque and peaceful. There was a picnic space sheltered by towering trees, another on a sprawling green lawn, and a sweet little beach absolutely covered with oyster shells. It also had hushed walking trails, a historic family house with a breathtaking view of Hood Canal, and secluded camping spots a short walk from the beach access point.

(The picnic area and volleyball net on the lawn of the Emel House)

(My favorite kind of walking trails; cut right through the undergrowth)

Sean and I got lost in the park (we apparently can't read maps), but we certainly got to see all of the park, parts of it even a few times over and over! We finally made our way down to the beach access and walked until we found a spot to ourselves and then just relaxed and stared at the amazingly close Olympic Mountains.

Overall, we liked this park a lot. We got both a lush forest and a wide open beach just a few yards away from each other (this is the number one thing I ADORE about Washington), and there was enough space in the park to be friendly with people but also find a secluded place when we wanted one. There was such an awesome variation of trees; Western Red Cedars, Western Hemlocks, Douglas Firs, Big Leaf Maples, Madronas, and White Pines, to name a few. The Rangers were very nice, but we didn't get a chance to really chat with them because the weekend camping crowds were coming in at the same time we did. I couldn't believe that we were so close to the Olympics and that they didn't have any snow on them! I kept asking Sean, "are you SURE those are the Olympics? They look so small!"

 (I couldn't resist the crystal clear water, so I took off my boots and waded in!)

 (Sean's favorite thing to do at the beach)

We're really looking forward to exploring the other parks in this region! We had an amazing time!

For more information please visit: Complete Scenic Beach Information (parks.wa.gov)

For camping information, please visit: Camping at Scenic Beach (parks.wa.gov)

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

-Rachel and Sean

Location of Scenic Beach State Park:

View Larger Map