Parking
Use the small roadside pullout on SR 123 about 200 feet south of the signed Deer Creek/Owyhigh Lakes Trailhead, on the east side of the road. The trail entrance is across SR 123; the crossing is at a blind corner.
Overview
About Deer Creek Falls Trail
Why go
- A tiered waterfall and creek crossings on a short route.
- Dense old forest makes the quick descent feel tucked away.
Heads up
- A steep climb back to the road.
- Small roadside parking area and a highway crossing to reach the trail.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mount Rainier map
Full mapElevation2,992–3,212 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Mount Rainier alerts
- ClosureWildfire closures in the northern parkGrand Park 2 and Wonderland Complex fire closures affect trails, backcountry camps, and Sunrise access; stay out of closed areas.Official details
- ClosureSR 165 bridge closed: no public access to Carbon River or Mowich LakeThe SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge is closed to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians; there is no public access or alternate route to Carbon River or Mowich Lake.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Your drive to Deer Creek Falls Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Deer Creek Falls: A Short, Steep Walk0:00 / 0:24
“Deer Creek trailhead is coming up, with a short, steep forest walk to a waterfall that spills sideways across boulders before dropping into a gorge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- An Elk's Antlers Start Over
- Listening Beneath Rainier
- Why the River Looks Milky
- When Snow Turns Pink
- 77 audio storiesacross Mount Rainier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Wolverine, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 87 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Deer Creek Falls Trail
The short falls walkDeer Creek Falls is a short out-and-back on the Owyhigh Lakes Trail from SR 123, through old…
Deer Creek Falls is a short out-and-back on the Owyhigh Lakes Trail from SR 123, through old forest to a tiered waterfall and the Eastside Trail junction. The mapped hike is about 0.8 miles round trip; allow roughly 30 to 45 minutes, with a quick descent and a steeper climb back. The first falls viewpoint is about 0.2 mile down the trail. WTA lists the outing at 1 mile round trip, so the exact total varies with the turnaround and how the short route is measured.
Getting thereUse the signed Deer Creek/Owyhigh Lakes trailhead about five miles south of Cayuse Pass.
Use the signed Deer Creek/Owyhigh Lakes trailhead about five miles south of Cayuse Pass. Park in the small roadside pullout about 200 feet south of the trail entrance, then cross SR 123 to the Owyhigh Lakes marker. The road closes to vehicles in winter, so this is a summer-season walk. Pets are not allowed on Mount Rainier trails.
The descentThe trail drops quickly on short switchbacks through dense old forest.
The trail drops quickly on short switchbacks through dense old forest. Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar shade the route, and two small footbridges cross lively creeks. The return is the same way, so save some energy for the short, steep climb back to the road.
At Deer Creek FallsDeer Creek tumbles more than 60 feet over tiered rock into a gorge.
Deer Creek tumbles more than 60 feet over tiered rock into a gorge. From the first viewing area, the water seems to cut sideways through the boulders before dropping again; the flow changes through the season. The viewpoint is near the gorge brink, so stay on the trail and give the edge room. Continue to the Eastside Trail junction for another look at the falls and creek crossings, then turn around.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mount Rainier
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.
