The Marymere Falls trail is a 1.8-mile round-trip route from the Storm King Ranger Station on Lake Crescent, gaining about 500 feet near the end. After passing through a tunnel beneath Highway 101, it follows Barnes Creek through old-growth Douglas-fir and hemlock, crosses two footbridges, and climbs a short stair to viewpoints of 90-foot Marymere Falls in a moss-lined grotto.
Out of the car and into the trees. Ahead of you is the Marymere Falls trail, an easy mile and eight tenths round trip with about five hundred feet of climb saved for the very end. You set off near the Storm King Ranger Station, right on the shore of Lake Crescent, and the path dips through a tunnel under Highway One Oh One, leaving the road noise behind for good. From there you wander nearly level beneath old-growth Douglas-fir and hemlock, following Barnes Creek. Two footbridges carry you over Barnes Creek and then Falls Creek, and the forest closes in cool and green. At the end, a short steep set of stairs lifts you to the upper and lower viewpoints of Marymere Falls, ninety feet of water sliding down a mossy grotto, tucked back where you'd never guess from the highway. It's a gentle walk with one good push at the finish. Stretch your legs and go meet it, or settle in and keep driving.
Photo: Sea Cow (Wikimedia Commons user) · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Marymere Falls trail begins at the Storm King Ranger Station on the south shore of Lake Crescent, just off US-101 about 20 miles west of Port Angeles. This is a busy hub in summer: it serves as the launch point for both the easy Marymere Falls walk and the steep, rope-assisted climb up Mount Storm King, and it sits next to the historic Lake Crescent Lodge. A seasonal ranger station, restrooms, and interpretive information are found here.
From the trailhead the path passes under US-101 through a tunnel and follows a wide, level grade along Barnes Creek through old-growth forest before reaching the Marymere Falls loop. The same trailhead area gives access to Lake Crescent's shoreline, picnic areas, and the Barnes Creek and Mount Storm King routes, so it works well as a base for exploring the south side of the lake. Parking fills early on summer weekends.
- • Getting there: Storm King Ranger Station, off US-101 on the south shore of Lake Crescent, about a 25-30 minute drive west of Port Angeles.
- • Parking: a shared lot near Lake Crescent Lodge serves Marymere Falls and Mount Storm King; arrive early on summer mornings as it fills fast.
- • Facilities: seasonal ranger station, restrooms, and trail information; the ranger station is staffed mainly in the summer months.
- • Fees: the $30 per vehicle 7-day Olympic National Park pass is required.
- • Pets are prohibited on the trails from this trailhead; leashed dogs are only allowed on Lake Crescent's paved Spruce Railroad Trail elsewhere on the lake.