Location: Olympic National Park, Lake Crescent, Washington
Distance: 2 mile Lollipop Loop Time: 45 minutes – 2 hours
Height: 90 Feet
Difficulty: Easy Elevation Gain: 350 Feet
Season: Year Round, Best from April-October
Foot Traffic: High
Date Hiked: Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Overview
What an amazing bang for your buck hike this is. If you are short on time but want to sample the beauty of this area, look no further. This is the trail for you. Marymere Falls, named for Mary Alice Barnes, the sister of Charles, who homesteaded on the shores of Lake Crescent at Barnes Creek, is a pretty 90 foot waterfall reached via a very easy beginners trail from the Lake Crescent area in Washington State and is a part of Olympic National Park. The two mile round trip trail takes you through a wonderful old growth Rain Forest before heading to viewpoints overlooking the falls.
This is understandably a very popular trail. Due to the trails easy accessibility and beauty, it often manages to become very crowded. Starting the hike outside of peak hours will help enhance the experience into this lush wonderland.
Trail Description and My Story
As my wife and I had been passing through the Lake Crescent area of Olympic National Park, and having already completed a few other hikes earlier in the day, our original intention had not been to hike to Marymere Falls on this day. As we drove by the trailhead around 3PM, we decided to stop and were able to snag a parking space. We walked with our 10 week old daughter Scout, to the shoreline of the lake and walked out on the pier next to the Barnes point boat launch to enjoy the striking views of the lake.
The sun was beaming down on the lake and was lighting the waters a gorgeous green color.
We walked towards the beautiful little cove with a beach to our right and hung out for a few minutes. We decided that since the trail was only two miles, that we should go ahead and give it a go.
Lake Crescent to Storm King Ranger Station Trail
It was nearing 330 so we strapped our daughter, Scout, into her carrier and got started pretty quickly, knowing that we would still have to find a campsite or figure out exactly where we were going once we arrived back to our car later in the day. We followed the obvious trail heading off from the Storm King Ranger station into the tree line and then came to a cool little tunnel that we would pass through, leading underneath the highway. Once we were through the tunnel the trail opened up into a dense forest of moss covered trees. The trail was extremely flat and easy to navigate.
After a quick .5 mile we came to the junction with the Mount Storm King Trail. That trail continued to our left and uphill for another 1.5 miles. We continued straight on the Marymere Falls trail and shortly thereafter encountered the gorgeous Barnes Creek. There was a neat steel bridge there to aid us in crossing the stream. The one thing that surprised me the most was how uncrowded the trail felt. Yes, it was busy but most of the groups were smaller and spread out. The ambience was incredibly relaxing and quiet. Next, we came to a cute log bridge that we would cross.
There were some kids playing in the stream and the setting was magnificent. I can only imagine that this can become an immensely popular spot on hot summer days. However, on this day there was but one family enjoying themselves in a fairyland type setting. The creek bank is fairly wide here and the creek was as clear as one could imagine. After crossing the bridge we immediately headed steeply up some stairs on the short ascent to the falls. This was the only real incline of the entire hike. Guard rails now lined the trail and pointed the way forward.
Reaching Marymere Falls
Soon after we heard the splashing of Marymere Falls into the shallow pool beneath it. A few more steps upward and we had arrived at the first overlook. The lower overlook proved to be the prettiest and best vantage point in my opinion.
My wife was able to take a few photos with no one around and we sat and took in the beauty of the area.
Surprisingly to me, only a few others arrived as we were there and only stayed briefly. The viewing area is small, but the few people that made their way over were super respectful of each other. Each allowing the others time to take some photos and really enjoy the moment. We made our way around what was now the loop part of the trail and then arrived back to the families splashing in the creek. One of the best parts of this hike for me was the fact that our baby, Scout, was awake and really attentive to her surroundings and the sounds of the creek and the forest canopy above.
Typically, Scout will sleep as we move along the trails and as she rocks in her carrier. It was awesome to see her moving her head constantly to see what was going on along the trail.
Summary of Marymere Falls Trail
The one downfall to this trail for me would be that it goes by super fast. It really is a beautiful hike and area. If we would have had more time in the area I would have liked to have planned to make the 4 mile round trip hike to Mount Storm King and to have spent more of the day here. We slowly made our way through the forest while soaking up the experience as best as we could. Before we knew it we had arrived back at the Storm King ranger station. We once again walked to the pier where we had been earlier. It was becoming abundantly clear that neither my wife nor I wanted to leave. The pier at the Barnes Point boat launch looked as beautiful as ever and we once again stopped.
We spent a bit of time taking in the last moments of this area before we headed for our car. We made a quick twenty minute drive to the Elwha River to check out the small but nice Madison Creek Falls before calling it a day and looking for somewhere to sleep for the night.
Back on the Road
Our second week of being on the road with our infant daughter, Scout, was slowly coming to an end. We would have a few more months on the road with her to explore but so far I was finding that the hardest part of this trip was trying to stick to certain timelines that I had set and never seeming to have enough time in any spot we visited regardless of how long we stayed there. The places to explore are endless and the beauty that is out there is never ending. The more places that we visit and see, the more I am humbled and realize how little I have actually done and how much more is out there waiting for us to one day experience.
Getting to the Marymere Falls Trailhead
Olympic National Park, Lake Crescent, Washington
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Is this a fee area?
- Yes. This is a National Park fee area. A park pass must be displayed on your windshield. The passes are good for all trails inside Olympic National Park. $30 Pass (Good for 7 days) $50 Annual Pass (Olympic National Park) or an America the Beautiful Pass $80 (Good for 1 year to all National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas). The America the Beautiful Pass is by far the best option if you are visiting multiple parks throughout the year and it has saved me thousands of dollars over the years. The following options are also offered by the National Park Service through the America the Beautiful Pass. You can purchase these online here.
- Annual: $80
- Senior Annual: $20
- Senior Lifetime: $80
- Military Lifetime: Free
- Medically Determined Permanent Disability: Free
- 4th Grader:
- Free. Yes, that is right. If you are a fourth grade student you can enter all the National Park entities for free for the entire fourth grade year along with all children under the age of 16 in the group and up to 3 accompanying adults or an entire car.
Are pets allowed on the Marymere Falls Trail?
- No, pets are not allowed on the trail.
Are there restrooms at the Marymere Falls Trailhead?
- Yes, toilets are available in front of the parking lot.
Please recreate responsibly. Respect hikers, fisherman and all visitors and wildlife. Help make everyone’s experience better by keeping the nature experience as authentic as possible. Leave no trace and pack out everything that you pack in. Please remember that we are visitors and stewards of these special places. Help keep these places as wild as possible while not diminishing the outdoor experience of others.
