Cherry Creek Falls

There were four of us today including my hiking partner of 2 years ago who hadn't been out in a long time for various reasons and my current hiking partner who brought her daughter along for the first time. For these reasons I picked an easier hike this time out after really going at the last two times I went out this month. This trail was easy enough to find out of Duvall and starts at a blue gate. There was some parking on the side of the road and a gravel parking lot nearby. The trail, which is mostly old roads was easy enough to hike too but our party got a little switched around and probably added a mile to the 5 mile round trip hike getting our bearings straight. The directions provided on the WTA site on here are good but I think we would have been better off if I had printed them out and brought them along with the multitude roads and side trails on the DNR land here. We wandered around getting a signal on my phone so I could pull up the website and look at the directions again.

Getting to the falls is pretty easy but expect what you would expect on any NW trail this time of year. Mud, water and creek crossings along with mosquitoes that were out but not ravenous yet. We forgot the bug spray and it would have helped. To reach the falls stay on the road until you cross the bridge at Margaret Creek, then go to the top of the hill and take the road that continues uphill on the right, the main road goes left. Follow this down a long hill to the bottom where it goes right and left. Go left, it looks more like a real trail now but turns back into an old road soon enough. After rolling along and crossing 2 wide creeks on logs start watching the right for a purple ribbon on a tree and a trail leading into the woods. You will hear the water! Follow this side trail down and to the right and you come down on a camp spot above the falls and a side trail that leads to a nice beach across the pool from the falls.

Cherry Creek Falls was pretty and set in some nice green forest. It was full of rushing water from spring runoff. While we sat and ate our lunch we were visited by a pair of merganser ducks, they were pretty too! We had the place to ourselves while at the falls but counted 16 people out and about while we were hiking. Most of them were going to the falls but we did see 4mountain bikers and 2 girls on horseback so be prepared to run into people who aren't just hiking. This is a great hike for when you're waiting for the mountain stuff to thaw out, I look forward to another trip here in the future.