Cascade Falls

From the Lake Quinault Lodge, drive east along the South Shore Road for just a couple hundred yards to the Falls Creek Bridge (above Falls Creek Falls) and park on the left-hand, downstream side. Take the marked trail across the street for .4 miles to a junction just beyond a bridge crossing Falls Creek. Go right for another .1 mile to an overlook of the falls. In February of 2000, the main trail was closed due to storm damage, but it's now open. You can clearly see where the trail suffered in a large clearing where possibly hundreds of trees were blown down like toothpicks. As of February 2002, there were a pair of trees lying awkwardly across the trail, just past the first views of Cascade Falls, which damaged the fencing paralleling the trail. They can be ducked under, but if you have conditions with your back or legs (or are just really tall), it's best to avoid going further until the trees can be cleared.The waterfalls in the south Lake Quinault area are not known for their loft or grandeur, but there is a definite allure to the cascades of the area. Cascade Falls in particular is a nice waterfall to visit. The small creek steps down a narrow gorge then veils about 20 feet before it flows into Falls Creek just downstream. The network of nature trails in the area crosses the creek right above the falls, providing several vantages. During the summer, the flow of Cascade Creek is greatly reduced, but I haven't know it to dry out.