Lewis River Falls — Saturday, Jun. 19, 2021

Warning!  Permit system is now in full effect and rangers are turning people away.  The drive in is long and a mostly forested road.  Once you pass the turn off to the Ape Cave you still have 26 miles to go to the Lower Falls campground/day use area.  They are working on a short chunk of road where there is a big dip which was a little disconcerting while towing a small camper but we made it through.  The campground is lovely and we had an absolutely perfect weekend of weather.  The trail has many access points from the campgrounds and day use area and follows mainly along the river.  It is well groomed, wide, and in great condition except for a few short areas.  We passed a handful of other hiking groups and a few mountain bikers on our out and back to the upper falls.  The middle falls is worth a short side trek down but do be careful of slippery rocks.  I don't know if it was the time of day/or lighting, but the upper falls seemed more impressive than the lower.  It is worth the hike to get up to them.  The mild elevation change and mostly shaded trail made for a relatively easy family hike as long as the distance can be handled. The bunchberry was out in full bloom along the trail and we saw some bear grass near the upper falls.  This is worth the long drive!