Really nice hike to North fork union creek falls. I went further along the trail after this, trail there is in ok shape. But lots of blown down before these falls. A hundred trees.

Great hiking along the creek. The trail goes all the way to Basin lake trail to the PCT. Looks to be in good shape once past the North fork Union Creek falls.

We arrived early afternoon for this hike and the daytime temperatures were over 90 degrees.  There were several cars in the lot already indicating hikers already on the trail.

The trail head has a good parking lot, bathroom, and lots of signage.  We paid the fee and started out.  The first part of the trail to the first set of falls and even for a ways beyond that is well maintained and easy to walk.  There is a water crossing with a downed log as a bridge with handrails and it is quite easy to cross.  There are stairs at the other end to exit the bridge. This brings you to your first view of the river and hikers can go visit the stream after exiting the bridge.  The hike to the first set of falls is probably within a mile and less than 30minutes. Trees provide cover from the hot august sun.  You can leave the main trail and hike down to the falls which provide a cool and inviting mist on a hot day. The hike down to the falls is a little steep but totally doable.

Because there was already a group there, we opted to keep hiking to the 2nd set of falls.  It was only a couple miles and so far the hike had been quite pleasant.  However, a fire in 2017 has destroyed much of the old growth timber in this section of the hike leaving low brush and abundant, hot sunshine.  If anyone takes this hike on a hot august day, Remember to bring plenty of water and get an early start before the sun has a chance to come around. We did neither and hiking uphill in 90+ degrees with the sun blasting down was brutal. We did make several shade stops to catch our breath and managed to continue on. 

Interesting sites along the trail included some really large rocks! They looked like a type of granite which might be from the magma chamber of an old volcano. The further along you go, the more of this granite we found. It had the usual dark spots we see in cascade granite but also white spots which were new to me.  Also, the foliage smelled a little like urine and my partner said it looked like "buck bush" In other areas the plants had a nice sweet smell. Finally, it is encouraging to note that a few young trees are starting to grow in the burned out areas.

The farther you continue on the trail, the more downed logs will cross the path.  Some are an easy step over, others require a straddle method.  We didn't mind the logs other than they added to the fatigue factor. We passed a lone hiker on his way back who encouraged us to continue as eventually we would get to the falls and peaceful cool water but he warned us of more downed trees up ahead.  Eventually, we reached the 2nd set of falls.  There was 2 people at the base of these falls as well, and the walls to access this area are so steep and slippery that we could only assume they must have followed the creek to this location from a lower elevation.   We were happy to rest at the top of the falls.  The water was cool and shade was available. We bathed the dog and soaked our clothes and regained some thermoregulation.  A quick exploration of the trail ahead looked like the pct was not going to be just around the next corner so we opted to turn around and head home.  As always, the trip home was faster and down hill, and we knew what to expect and how far we had left to go.  It was still hot but definitely more manageable.  We were nearly back to the first set of falls when we found a group a 4 people resting on the trail. They reported that they had tried to continue to the second set of falls but decided to turn back due to the heat. 

In summary, The trail is well maintained at least to the first set of falls and a little beyond that but then expect lots of logs covering the trail.  Be sure and bring good hiking shoes and water.  If the day is hot, get an early start.  The phone said we hiked a little over 5 miles round trip and gained 600+ feet in elevation.

Personally, I think the first set of falls is the prettiest and most impressive. On this day, I am not sure the second set of falls is worth the added effort.  On a cooler day, maybe. The trail does not stay near the river but climbs up and levels out on the adjacent hillside.

Gorgeous day with only a few people on trail, despite being the 4th of July! The trail was in great condition and the end result was absolutely breathtaking. There are steep portions of the trail to get down to the waterfall, but man was it worth it!

Decided to hike East of the Mountains for better weather.  It was a dry day, cloudy and encountered Forest Service Guys trying to remove graffiti from logs and rocks.  Who would do stuff like this..??  They worked all day.  

We went on the hike to the second falls - The North Fork Union Creek Falls.  the whole way was through dead, burned trees but lots of vegetation growing which is encouraging to see.  We knew there were dead trees and branches across the trail but didn't realize how many there were!  It took us quite a long time to go just a couple of miles to the Falls.  We went over and under MANY...some not too easy.   The 3 of us are in our late 70's so not quite as agile as we used to be, but we continued!  The Falls were pretty and we had a nice lunch by the water.  Only place to eat without being exposed on the trail.  We stopped by Union Falls on the way back and saw a few more people but no one else traveled to the second Falls.  Maybe they were the smart ones.  I am glad we did this trail, but I would not choose to do it again with so many big logs to climb over....The Forest Service is spread so thinly that I am not sure if and when they will have time to clear the trail.  So much land was burned......but it still has it's own beauty.