Sight · Mount Rainier National Park
Two drops, a footbridge, and a long walk into the forest.
Overview
Ohanapecosh Falls is a two-tier waterfall on the Ohanapecosh River, dropping nearly 70 feet into two plunge pools in a forested canyon. It is a destination for a longer walk, not a quick roadside stop: come when following the river through the southeast side of the park sounds like part of the day.
Parkwolf’s verdictWorth the walk?Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Rainier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Mount Rainier audio tourRecorded for this area
Shriner Peak: A Steep Climb to the Lookout“You're nearing Shriner Peak trailhead, where a steep hike leads to a wooden fire lookout built in nineteen thirty-two.”
Plays on the road 0.5 mi from Ohanapecosh Falls in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
From Grove of the Patriarchs parking, follow the Eastside Trail north about 3.7 miles to the falls, then return the same way for roughly 7.4 miles round trip. There are no services at the falls, so carry food and water. Pets are not allowed on park trails, and treat stream water before drinking.
The trail bridge crosses above the rushing water. Pause there, then continue a little farther south for a more frontal look at both drops. For a photo, keep the bridge above the falls in the frame; it helps show how the cascade sits in the narrow gorge.
The Eastside Trail follows the Ohanapecosh River through dense canyon-bottom forest, so this is more about close-up water and woods than wide mountain views. On fall hikes, elk may bugle in the forest along the route; it is a possibility, not a guaranteed sighting at the falls.
Wildlife
466 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
383 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
574 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,853 sightingsHoary MarmotMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Rainier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingShriner Peak Trail8 mi · 6 hr · 0.5 mi awayA tough, exposed climb to a historic lookout and wide views.
EasyDeer Creek Falls Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 2.4 mi awayA short, steep forest walk to Deer Creek’s tiered falls.
ModerateStafford Falls via Deer Creek3.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayBlue-green pools and a punch bowl after a steep forest drop.
ModerateEastside Trail to Ohanapecosh Falls7.4 mi · 4 hr · 3.2 mi awayA forest walk to a nearly 70-foot, two-tier waterfall.
EasyGrove of the Patriarchs Trail1.1 mi · 1 hr · 3.2 mi awayAn easy island loop under some of Mount Rainier’s biggest trees.
ModerateCowlitz Divide Trail8.5 mi · 5 hr · 3.3 mi awayAn old-growth creek walk ends at a backcountry junction.
ChallengingLaughingwater Creek Trail12 mi · 6 hr · 3.7 mi awayA steady forest climb to backcountry lakes and an old patrol cabin.
ChallengingIndian Bar Trail14.5 mi · 11 hr · 4.3 mi awayA hard ridge crossing opens into a waterfall-filled alpine basin.
Sight · 1.2 mi awayStafford FallsA blue-green waterfall hike with a steep climb back to the road.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayShriner Peak Fire LookoutA 1932 lookout caps a steep hike to Rainier’s southeast panorama.Sight · 2.4 mi awayDeer Creek FallsA short downhill walk to a 60-foot gorge waterfall.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayGrove of the PatriarchsOld-growth conifers on a small island in the Ohanapecosh River
Entrance station · 3.4 mi awayStevens Canyon EntranceGet a map before setting out on the cross-park road.
Sight · 3.6 mi awaySilver FallsA 60-foot drop and a footbridge in an old-growth gorge.
Sight · 4.3 mi awayBox CanyonThe river squeezes through a 13-foot slot in the granite.
Campground · 4.7 mi awayOhanapecosh CampgroundOld-growth shade, river access, and hikes right from camp.Parkwolf’s Mount Rainier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
