Complete information for Wallace Falls

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.

Winter Schedule for all Washington State Parks

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.

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.

Group Accommodations:

Overnight Accommodations

The five cabins at Wallace Falls State Park are within walking distance of the Woody Trail, which provides access to Wallace Falls and Wallace Lake. Each cabin features a 6-foot covered front porch, picnic table, fire pit, barbecue stand, electric heat, lights and locking doors. Each cabin is furnished with bunk beds that sleep three and a full-size futon bed for two. Two of the cabins have two rooms, and two of the cabins have a ramp that is accessible to people with disabilities. For more information visit the cabins/yurts page 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, 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.

To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the reservation system and campsite maps.

Driving Directions

Located two miles northeast of Gold Bar, Wash. in Snohomish County.


Park address:
14503 Wallace Lake Road
Goldbar, WA 98251

From the west:
Take U.S. Hwy. 2 (Steven's Pass Highway) east 12 miles from Monroe to Gold Bar. Once in Gold Bar, follow the signs two miles northeast to the park.

From the east:
Take U.S. Hwy. 2 west about 43 miles from the summit of Steven's pass to the town of Gold Bar. From town, follow the signs two miles northeast to the park.

Park Maps

To view campsites and facilities reservable at this park, visit the reservation system and campsite maps.

Wallace Falls downloadable pdf map #1


List of all downloadable Washington State Park maps.

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

Full list of events at Washington State Parks

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.

Park photo gallery