Trail was wet and snowy but in good shape. No TP in the pit toilet. Some large potholes on the way in.

Hiked on Sat. 3/8 with my 2 girls (7 & 10) and our dog. Apple Watch clocked 5.1 mi/500 ft gain total. 

We opted to start at the north skookum falls TH (can be seen on Google maps) because it is a shorter out and back (5 miles round trip). The TH is less than a mile off forest service road 73–if you pass the Dalles campground heading south on 410, you’ve gone too far. The last stretch of road is full of pot holes, but I was able to navigate in my Prius w. no issues. There is a pit toilet at the north TH but NO tp and NO trash cans—please hike with trash bags and carry it out. Parking lot has about 8-10 spots. Parking wasn’t an issue on this March Saturday.
Trail was peaceful, straight forward, runs parallel to the river. There were a few downed trees not difficult to cross. Shortly after 2 miles, the trail to the falls will turn right.
From here, there is a relatively short but steep scramble to the falls. My girls were capable of doing it, and it was their first scramble! It will require you to use your hands and I did scoot on my butt to get back down in some spots.
I packed traction but did not need it—no snow on the trail; 1-2 very small patches of ice left and some mud to maneuver around.
Overall, really great easy hike to the falls but considered moderate if you choose to scramble up to the falls.
Enjoy.

I did some bike recon for the Evergreen Sawyers Group. Every spring these guys try to take care of any trees that are across the trail. 

Going to the waterfall from road 73 there are a few trees down but easy to get over/under.

But about 2 miles past the waterfall(and probably 2 miles from the Buck Creek entrance) there is an overturned tree root that has taken out part of the trail.  Probably something the sawyers won't work on.  Maybe WTA?

Here is a picture of the root ball(bike for scale) and a map marking it's location.

I expect the chainsaw guys will be down there in the next few weeks.  I'll keep you updated.

If you're in search of a beautiful winter forest dreamland hike, look no further!

- Chinook Pass Highway seemed bit slick when driving in at ~9am, but there weren't any ice patches (that we found). There was definitely ice on the sides of the road that seemed to thaw when we were on our way out ~5 hours later.

- Forest Service Road 7300 was completely covered in snow, and there were some pretty large potholes. Our Toyota Rav4 (AWD) made it just fine, but smaller vehicles may need to be extra careful.

- We started at the north trailhead and went to the falls (~4.8 miles). The forest path itself was very easy to walk (no gear needed for this portion).

- The toughest part was the climb up to the falls. It was a bit of a scramble with the rocks and tree roots at a steep incline. I would say spikes are a necessity for this part. 

- The falls were well worth the toil! It was half frozen and half running, and such a marvelous sight to behold.

- Judging by the footprints in the snow, it seemed like most folks didn't go too far past the path to the falls. We went just a little further (~3 miles from the north trailhead) before turning around for the day.

Delightful stroll thru the woods. Some may find it unchallenging, perhaps even monotonous, but if you’re looking for zen it hits the spot. Good mileage without paying the pesky elevation tax.

But BE WARNED:

- FSR 7300 has some of the meanest potholes I’ve ever seen. You’re on it for a blessedly short time but for the love of the gods go slow and keep your eyes peeled.

- While there is a bathroom at the trailhead, there’s no TP. Always be prepared!

- The trail itself is located ACROSS FSR 7300 from the parking area. If you get out of your vehicle and gravitate to the various camp sites, goat paths, and off-roads that are immediately adjacent to the parking lot you will waste 20 minutes getting nowhere, like I did.

- If you decide to trek up to the falls from the trail, throw out everything I said about “unchallenging” and “monotonous”. You will be straddling the line between “hiking” and “climbing”. It was far more difficult, time-consuming, and frankly harrowing than I’d bargained for, especially at the top where you may suddenly be dismayed to discover the rocks you’re so delicately balanced on are coated with a sheen of ice. Strongly recommend you skip going up to the falls, at least until we’re through this cold spell and you won’t have ice to worry about.

Have fun and be safe out there!