Umtanum Creek FallsElk roam the upper woods, and bighorn sheep prowl the steep canyon walls around the pounding waterfall. Visit in early spring to enjoy the best wildlife viewing (beasts of all sizes stick to this canyon while the snows still fill the high country). Spring also means the waterfall is running full with snowmelt water. The area in and around the falls is very icy in winter. From the parking area, start down the Umtanum Falls Trail, noting that the first 0.5 mile no longer rolls between sections of private property. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife purchased this land in 2006, and it is now part of the state-owned L. T. Murray State Wildlife Recreation Area lands. For the next 0.5 mile, you'll pass through the transition zone between the lowland forest and the high desert. At times the canyon narrows and the north wall looms higher. With more shade and less scorching sun in the summer, trees thrive. Douglas firs tower high on the shaded slopes, while the canyon floor sports a dense forest of pine and fir. As you near the 1-mile mark, the canyon walls mellow, opening the entire chasm to the full glare of sun day in and day out. The result is dramatic: Gone are the towering firs and pines, and instead the canyon is filled with fragrant sagebrush groves. At just over 1 mile, the stunning punchbowl surrounding Umtanum Falls opens before you. The creek falls about 40 feet into an oval-shaped basalt bowl. Throughout winter and spring, ice plasters the black rock alongside the falls as the water cascades into the bowl and then out a narrow canyon. In this water-rich basin, ponderosa pines thrive. Hikers may continue down the creek valley for several miles along the "official" trail (brushy scramble in places), though we recommend exploring. Rock-hop across the creek well above the falls, where you'll find an easily scrambled slope to the top of the south wall of the canyon. Follow the canyon rim to view amazing rock formations: myriad volcanic basalt forms that boggle the mind. Later in spring, the ridge top also sports the first color of the local wildflower show. Buckwheat and balsamroot are especially abundant. For a good daylong outing, follow the south canyon rim about 3 miles until it is broken by a broad side canyon, then turn back and head home.
Driving Directions:
From Seattle, drive east on Interstate 90 to exit 109 in Ellensburg. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right to drive under the freeway and at 0.7 mile turn left at Umtanum Road at the traffic light. Stay on this road, which turns to gravel at 5.2 miles, for a total of 10 miles from the freeway exit. At 10 miles, find a small signed parking area at a sharp turn in the road. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife permit required. Recent Trip Reports
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Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Overgrown | Bugs
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Wildflowers, bugs and rattlesnake!
Started at 3pm, weather was clear and hot. Sections of trail were darkly forested and grasses near...
Wildflowers, bugs and rattlesnake!
Started at 3pm, weather was clear and hot. Sections of trail were darkly forested and grasses near the creek were thigh high. Some parts had tree branches that needed to be climbed through. Wild roses and other flowers were in bloom. Mosquitoes came out around 4:30pm. Saw a rattlesnake in the grass next to the trail on the side of the creek, 5-10 min out from the parking lot. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Overgrown | Bugs
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I hiked into the falls area, then followed deer paths along the creek, those paths are brushy and barely existent....
I hiked into the falls area, then followed deer paths along the creek, those paths are brushy and barely existent. The creek goes through a canyon area after about a half mile. I ended up scrambling up some mud/rock cliffs to the open desert above. The flowers were blooming in the desert & it was easy walking. Tip: Go to the falls then turn around and backtrack until you get to where the path turns to the left, following the creek, with an open area on your left. Look carefully for an opening in the bushes, it is the track up the canyon wall to a four wheel drive track that then parallels the creek going south. Way easier hiking along the four wheel track that is mostly grown over than trying to use deer paths and scramble up mud.
The temps were in the high 70's & low 80's with a cool breeze, very nice. The parking lot was full when I got back to my car around 2:00, but I don't know where those people were, the area very big and wide open once you're above the canyon. It is a kid friendly hike if you don't do the scrambling and deer-path following. The trails are in ok shape. There were no biting bugs out while I was there. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
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The Upper Umtanum creek valley turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant on this Memorial Day weekend Sunday. We tried...
The Upper Umtanum creek valley turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant on this Memorial Day weekend Sunday. We tried to drive into the Skyline trail via Durr road but it is barely above a goat path, and was too hard on the sedan, so we opted instead for the Umtanum Creek Falls trail which is on a maintained gravel road. The parking lot is not signed for the trail, the sign only says "Maintained by the Bonneville Power Administration". Why? We pondered but could not figure it out. There were about 8 cars in the lot. The weather was hazily sunny and warmish. The creek was only a little high. Camas, violets, lomatium, amalancher, and other flowers are out in the vally floor. Beavers have been here, reshaping the creek bed and logging the cottonwoods. We walked to the falls, then opted to climb the "trail" on the south side canyon, a trail may be more used by elk and deer than humans, but whatever, we hiked in the ponderosas, climbing up to the rim after awhile. Roaming the rim is great, the views are wide, the air perfumed with sage, the flowers blooming everywhere, pink bitterroot in full bloom in the dry spaces,deep purple monkshood, balsamroot, buckwheat, lomatium, lupine just getting started, sulpher paintbrush and others. While eating lunch on the canyon rim, we wached first a Lewis Woodpecker hunting bugs in mid-air from high in a dead poderosa, his identity being clear from the dark back, pink belly and white neck ring. Then, soaring lazy circles up the canyon came the most magnificent and large red tailed hawk, dark brown above, and mottled below, with a tail so rusty red it glowed in the sun, A smaller bird, maybe a small hawk, came up from the trees to harrass her, so she turned and shot arrow straight back down the canyon, fighter jet fast, and from her rose a loud rasping wild call. It was just magical. There is an old over-grown jeep trail back from the rim a bit, overgrown with sage and flowers, but it makes for easier walking than cross country, so we followed it, eventually returning back to the creek just above the falls, on the old jeep trail. The only bothersome distraction was the constant sound of gunfire. I think this part of the canyon may be off limits, but there are numerous makeshift target practice sites, in use, along Durr road which is within earshot, and even on part of Umtanum road.
Umtanum Creek Falls
— Apr 16, 2011
— Weluv2hike.
Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Mud/Rockslide | Mudholes | Water on trail
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We thought that we would come over and get the sun, but it rained. Enjoyed seeing all the dams the...
We thought that we would come over and get the sun, but it rained. Enjoyed seeing all the dams the hard working beavers have been making. They have chewed so many trees out there. We got to see one swiming.
Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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I have failed to get out and hike on a few really nice days this winter, so I didn’t want...
I have failed to get out and hike on a few really nice days this winter, so I didn’t want to miss the chance to get out today during the nice weather; mostly blue sky and calm winds today. Yes, I know the overnight low temperature was 4.8 F according to my Oregon Scientific digital thermometer, but it was warming rapidly, from 4.8 F to slightly over 8.4 degrees by 7:30 am. At that rate, I would be in a T-shirt by noon … or maybe by mid-May.
After deciding that it was a fine day to hike, I had to decide where, and start the drive soon. Most will disagree, but if I don’t get out of the house by 8 am, I feel like I have wasted most of the day when it comes to hiking. Because I was right on the margin of my self imposed timeline, I settled on Umtanum Falls because the drive is only about an hour. That way I could start hiking by 9, if I could find enough food for lunch, throw it in my pack, and get out of the house by 8. I always have the day pack ready to go, but this morning I tossed in a few more warm clothes because I wasn’t all the confident that I would be hiking in only a T-shirt by noon. As I expected, and prefer, when I got to the parking lot it was empty. According to the temperature gauge in my Blazer it had warmed up to a nice comfortable 12 F. There were a few more clouds than when I left home, but all considered, great hiking weather, and little chance of ticks and rattlesnakes. For those who have hiked this trail, you know that sometimes you can just barely cross the creek without getting your feet wet. No problem today, because the few inches of water in the creek channel has turned to ice. Image that! Walk a few hundred feet down the trail and there is the first of half dozen small beaver ponds and lots of beaver cuttings. I didn’t see any sign in the snow that they have been out and about. Perhaps they are wimps because of the ice, which covers most of the creek, forming some beautiful patterns. Did I mention that there was snow; only an inch to perhaps 5 inches, or none well above the trail on the hillside. The trail is slick, so be prepared to take a few falls, or better yet, wear some of those spiked attachments on your boots. That is what I did and even though it is possible to fall even if you are wearing the proper footwear, I stayed on my feet. If you hike the steep hillside to get below (downstream) of the falls you need to be very careful no matter what footwear you have. There is ice under a thin layer of snow on most of the route. A fall on the steep, icy hillside would result in a cold bath if you are lucky enough to hit the water, but more likely you will be on a tragic last hike. Although the trail is a short distance above the creek most of the way to the waterfall, there is no danger of falling down a rock wall, like there is at the falls. The plunge to the bottom is 40 or 50 feet. I took many photos of the designs in the frozen creek and of the mostly frozen waterfall. The ice around the waterfall looks different every time I make a winter visit after a few days of single digit temperatures. The spring and summer crowds are gone, although there is winter use. The snow on the trail was packed, one of the reasons the trail is slick. This is a very short hike, but it is easy to climb the hill after reaching the falls and hike for miles off trail, which for me, is much more rewarding than trail hiking. Today I just sat down on the icy ledge that is about 100 feet downstream and at the same elevation as the falls, and enjoyed watching the water trickle through the ice and take photographs. The dipper was also fun to watch. I almost forgot to mention the stream crossing. With purchase of private land by WDFW there are only 2 stream crossing, one right at the parking lot and one about half way to the falls. They will be difficult crossing when the snow melts, but now, except for the ice, they are easy. The 2nd crossing may be challenging for some. If you can hop across ice covered rocks, then no problem. There are elk, deer and bighorn sheep in the area, but I didn’t see any today. Wildflowers will color the hillsides in April and May. Be very careful, or wait until it thaws. It hit 32 at my home, so maybe a thaw has started. I can’t wait for the spring wildflowers. More photos here: http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/579834358SWSxVf and http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/579834265pSZhKu |
Photo by Whitebark.
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