Marymere Falls

Marymere Falls is a 90-foot waterfall on Lake Crescent’s south shore, reached by the lake’s most popular day hike. The water makes a narrow drop rather than a broad curtain, so the old-growth forest route and the two viewing platforms are part of the payoff. It is a rewarding short outing if you want a shaded walk as well as a waterfall; some visitors find the falls less forceful than the height suggests.

The trail is 0.9 mile each way from the Storm King Ranger Station, with another access point at Lake Crescent Lodge. It starts on a paved path, then passes through old-growth conifers and maples, moss, sword ferns and creek crossings. Save energy for the stairs near the end: they climb to the waterfall viewpoints, and the final section can feel steeper than the short distance implies.

The trail loops to an upper hillside platform looking down into the falls and a lower platform opposite the base. Try both if the stairs suit you. The upper view shows the creek’s notch in the cliff; the lower one puts the falling water and plunge pool in front of you. For a photo, keep some of the mossy rock and ravine around the water so the setting stays in the frame.

Marymere honors Mary Alice Barnes, sister of Charles Barnes, a member of the Press Expedition and a homesteader along Lake Crescent. The name ties the waterfall to the lake’s early settlement history.

Falls Creek wore through a resistant rock layer and then eroded the weaker rock beneath it more quickly, leaving the 90-foot drop. The creek’s path through that harder surface is why the waterfall breaks through a notch instead of spilling over a smooth rim.

The surrounding forest includes western hemlock, Douglas-fir and western redcedar. Barnes Creek’s gravel shallows provide spring spawning habitat for salmonid trout; frogs, salamanders and aquatic insects also live in and around the water. The creek carries rain and snowmelt through a forest that stores and releases that water.

Follow the signed Lake Crescent turnoff from US 101 to the paved parking area near Storm King Ranger Station at Barnes Point. Restrooms are available in the Barnes Point area, and the NPS also lists Lake Crescent Lodge as an access point. This is a popular trail; summer midday visits can feel busy, so an earlier or later start may mean an easier time parking and getting space at the platforms. Dogs and bicycles are not allowed on park trails except the Spruce Railroad Trail.