Parking
Start at the gravel Madison Falls Trailhead parking area on Olympic Hot Springs Road. An accessible vault toilet and picnic area are beside the lot.
Overview
About Madison Falls Trail
Why go
- A short, paved and gently sloped approach to a 60-foot waterfall
- Benches, an accessible vault toilet and a picnic area at the trailhead
Heads up
- The 0.2-mile walk is over quickly, with the falls as its only destination
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Olympic map
Full mapElevation268–291 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
6 active Olympic alerts
- CautionUS 101 Hoh River Bridge reduced to one laneUS 101 at the Hoh River Bridge is restricted to one lane of alternating traffic; obey the signals and 25 mph speed limit.Official details
- ClosureStaircase wilderness trails and campsites remain closedWilderness trails and campsites around Staircase remain closed during recovery from the Bear Gulch Fire; the developed Staircase area, including the Rapids Loop, campground, and ranger station, is…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Your drive to Madison Falls Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic 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 Olympic audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Madison Falls: A Short Walk in the Elwha0:00 / 0:33
“You're approaching Madison Falls, a good choice for a waterfall stop without a long hike. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes for the short walk and a pause beside the sixty-foot cascade.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- How a Salmon Handles Salt
- The Sapsucker’s Sap Wells
- Hurricane Hill: Summit or Picnic
- 204 audio storiesacross Olympic’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Olympic Marmot, Humpback Whale, Grey Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 148 trails, 94 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 Madison Falls Trail
An easy waterfall stopMadison Falls Trail is a 0.
Madison Falls Trail is a 0.2-mile out-and-back on a paved path from the Madison Falls Trailhead to a 60-foot waterfall. The one-way walk is about 0.1 mile and gently climbs to the viewing area. It is a good choice when you want a quick look without taking on a longer Elwha hike; allow about 15 to 20 minutes for the return and a pause by the water.
The short paved approachThe path bends through the trees and follows the creek toward the falls.
The path bends through the trees and follows the creek toward the falls. It is listed as wheelchair accessible, but tree roots have puckered a couple of pavement sections, so expect some bumps along an otherwise gentle route. A wooden rail frames a creek view through the branches, and benches sit near the end. Dogs are allowed on leashes no longer than six feet.
At the waterfallMadison Falls drops about 60 feet into a rocky pool.
Madison Falls drops about 60 feet into a rocky pool. The walk ends at the waterfall viewpoint, then returns on the same path. Pull back enough to include some of the mossy rock and pool around the water; a tight crop can lose the setting. The accessible vault toilet and picnic area are beside the gravel lot.
Part of the Elwha's returnThe Elwha watershed sustained Klallam fisheries for millennia.
The Elwha watershed sustained Klallam fisheries for millennia. Two dams blocked salmon from much of the river; both were removed by 2014, and salmon were spawning in the park again within months. The falls are a brief stop within that much larger restoration story.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Olympic
710 sightingsOlympic MarmotMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
30 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
71 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
306 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
