This was my first time on this trail and I loved it! The water is so clean and clear, and cold. The falls are beautiful. The trail is mostly in great condition. There is an area where vegetation is overgrown a bit, but manageable, even in shorts. There is a large tree down that you need to be able to get over. Looks like they're working on getting it moved. There are spots where the trail is a bit eroded, but to be expected when hiking outdoors in the PNW.
We parked at the Crab Creek "lot" and walked all the way to the top of the Upper Falls. We logged about 9.5 miles. I think the differing mileage for this trail is because there is a detour in between Lower and Middle Falls. The trail is closed and you need to walk toward the road, to a parking lot and return to the main trail. Signage makes it easy to navigate. We met a man who wondered why we were at the parking lot, and said the trail used to follow the river the whole way, but it is now blocked off - hence, I'm guessing, the added mileage. We found this trail to be pretty easy, not a huge elevation gain and plenty of flat travel. Our Chihuahua mix logged over 8 miles!
We drove through Carson to get to this trail. I found the road to be pretty decent considering the remoteness. I was expecting worse based on other reviews, but it's not so bad. Go slow and watch for dips in the road. Get your parking pass on recreation.gov and go enjoy!
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