Wallace Falls: Overview
Park overview:
The Wallace Falls State Park Management Area is a 4,735-acre camping park with shoreline on the Wallace River, Wallace Lake, Jay Lake, Shaw Lake and the Skykomish River. Located on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, the park features a 265-foot waterfall, old-growth coniferous forests, and fast- moving rivers and streams. Opportunities to view local wildlife, including cougar near Wallace Falls, and peregrine falcons inhabit the rock cliffs of the Index Town Wall.Want to support Washington State Parks? Get involved by joining a friends' group. For more information, visit the Friends' Group web page.
Park hours/updates:
Summer: 8 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk
Camping:
Check-in time,: 2:30 p.m.
Quiet hours, 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Agency information:
Don't move firewood: Please protect the Pacific Northwest from invasive species by obtaining or purchasing your firewood at or near your camping destination (within 50 miles). Firewood can carry insects and diseases that threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by buying and burning your firewood locally. For more information, visit online at www.dontmovefirewood.org or the Washington Invasive Species Council website.
The Discover Pass now can be used on either of two vehicles!Annual pass: $30
One-day pass: $10
(Transaction and dealer fees may apply)
A Discover Pass is required for motor-vehicle access to state parks and recreation lands managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Exemptions: Your purchase of the Discover Pass supports recreation on state lands. However, the Discover Pass is not required if you are camping or renting overnight accommodations, for the duration of your stay at that state park. For additional exemptions and more information, please visit the Discover Pass website.
Campsite Information:
The park has two walk-in tent sites and one restroom. There are no showers. The camping sites are 20 to 50 feet in from the parking area. Sites are very private, with picnic tables and campfire rings. All campsites are first come, first served.The park also has five reservable cabins, one pet-friendly. Year-round reservations for the cabins are available. To make a reservation, visit online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
2013 camping fees:
Please note that the following general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not all fees will apply to all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations).May 15 – Sept. 15 (peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $23 non-premium site, $26 premium site
Partial-utility campsite*: $30 non-premium site, $35 premium site
Full-utility campsite*: $32 non-premium site, $37 premium site
*Please note: Camping fees during the 2013 peak season are $28 for partial-utility sites and $29 for full-utility sites at Beacon Rock, Brooks Memorial, Columbia Hills, Conconully, Lewis & Clark and Schafer state parks. These parks are first come, first served.
Jan. 1 – May 14 and Sept. 16 – Dec. 31 (off-peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $22 for non-premium and premium sites
Partial-utility campsite: $28 for non-premium and premium sites
Full-utility campsite: $29 for non-premium and premium sites
Maximum eight people per campsite.
Second vehicle: $10 per night is charged for a second vehicle unless it is towed by a recreational vehicle. Extra vehicles must be parked in designated campsite or extra vehicle parking spaces.
Dump stations (if available): Year-round dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.
More about park hours
Check-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Length of stay: You may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park from April 1 through Sept. 30; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.
Park Features
The scenery is outstanding in this park, which includes numerous waterfalls, three back-country lakes and a river. Wallace Falls drops from a height of 265 feet. The park offers a rock-climbing wall eight miles east near Index. Atop Mount Pilchuck, 60 miles away, a fire lookout provides a spectacular, panoramic view. Swimming access is five miles east at Big Eddy.
History
The lake, falls and mounts are named "Wallace," after the name "Kwayaylsh." Joe and Sarah Kwayaylsh, members of the Skykomish tribe, were the first homesteaders in the area.Interpretive opportunities
Mount Pilchuck, managed by Wallace Falls State Park, is approximately 50 miles north of Wallace Falls and features a historic fire lookout. Mount Pilchuck features a series of interpretive panels that explain the history of the lookout and the names of the surrounding peaks. Wallace Falls State Park offers a one-quarter mile interpretive trail.Services/Supplies
| Available in the park | Available in the area |
| • Camping • Pay phone • Fire wood | • Auto repair • Camping • Diesel • Fishing/hunting • Gasoline • Gifts • Groceries • Hardware • Horse rental • Hospital • Overnight Accommodations • Pay phone • Postal service • Propane • Recreational equipment • White gas • Wood |
The park provides a pop machine with bottled water. Most services are available within a few miles of the park.
Activities
| Trails | Water Activities | Other |
| • 12 mi. Hiking Trails • 5 mi. Bike Trails | • Boating (freshwater, non-motorized) • Fishing (freshwater) • Swimming (freshwater) • White-water Kayaking | • 1 Amphitheater • Bird Watching • Interpretive Activities • Mountain Biking • Mountain Climbing • Rock Climbing • Wildlife Viewing |
Fishing, rafting, kayaking, canoeing and swimming are popular at Big Eddy, a satellite park five miles east. Rock climbing is possible at the Index Town Wall, 12 miles east of Wallace Falls. A variety of mountain-climbing and winter activities are available for experienced hikers and outdoor enthusiasts at Mount Pilchuck, 60 miles northwest of the park. Be prepared for hiking by bringing proper gear, including: - good socks and footwear, - flashlight, - food, - extra clothing, - compass, or GPS, and a good map. A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website. | ||
Events
The 2013 State Parks free days are as follows:
Jan. 21 – In honor of Martin Luther King Day
March 30 – In honor of Washington State Parks' 100th birthday on March 19
April 27 and 28 – National Parks Week
June 1 – National Trails Day
June 8 and 9 – National Get Outdoors Day and Department of Fish and Wildlife Free Fishing weekend
Aug. 4 – Peak season free day
Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 9 through 11 – Veteran's Day weekend
Please note: A Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife during State Parks free days. For more information, please visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
| Events | ||
| Date/time | Event description | State Park |
| Jan. 1
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. |
First Day Hikes, Wallace Falls: Ring in 2013 by connecting with nature at a First Day Hike in one of many Washington state parks on New Year’s Day. Discover the natural beauty of Washington as part of a national effort to share stewardship for natural, cultural and recreational resources. The First Day Hikes kick-off a year-long celebration of State Parks’ centennial year. The hike at Wallace Falls State Park is a moderate 4.6 mile hike along Woody Trail beginning at the Wallace Falls trailhead. The hike is open to participants of all ages. Dogs are allowed and must be on-leash at all times. Participants are suggested to take along sturdy footwear, layered clothing, food and water. For more information, call (360) 793-0420. America’s State Parks First Day Hikes are occurring across the country. The National Association of State Parks Directors organizes the nation-wide effort. For more information about First Day Hikes, visit www.americasstateparks.org/first-day-hikes. |
Wallace Falls, Wallace Falls trailhead (360) 793-0420 |
Boating Features
There is a boat ramp at Big Eddy (a satellite park five miles east) for put-in or take-out on the Skykomish river.Winter Recreation
• Snowshoeing• Snow Play
Picnic and Day-use Facilities
The park provides two kitchen shelters without electricity, plus five sheltered and five unsheltered picnic tables. Both are available first-come, first-served. Picnic tables are all first come, first served.The park is extremely busy on summer days. Parking usually fills by 11:00 a.m. on the weekends.
Wildlife
| Mammals | Birds | Fish & Sea Life |
| • Bears • Bobcats • Chipmunks • Coyotes • Deer or Elk • Foxes • Marmots • Marten • Otters • Rabbits • Raccoons • Skunks • Squirrels | • Crows or Ravens • Ducks • Eagles • Geese • Grouse • Hawks • Herons • Hummingbirds • Jays • Ospreys • Owls • Woodpeckers • Wrens | • Bullhead • Salmon • Steelhead • Trout |
Environmental Features
| Physical Features | Plant Life | Special | |
| Wallace Falls is a dramatic display of the power of water to erode rock. | • Cedar • Douglas Fir • Hemlock • Spruce • Alder • Maple • Foxglove • Lupines • Paintbrush • Berries • Ferns • Moss or Lichens • Thistle | Evidence of logging, including railroad trestle ruins, old railroad grades and springboard notches in old stumps, are visible in the park. There is an historic fire lookout atop Mount Pilchuck. |
