Curly Creek Falls

Take Interstate 5 to the town of Woodland, and exit onto Highway 503 heading east. Follow 503 east to Cougar, and continue to Forrest Service Road # 90, just passed the Pine Creek Ranger Station. Follow FR 90 for 5 miles and turn left onto FSR #51 (watch for signs pointing to Curly Creek Falls). Follow Road 51 for one mile and turn left into the parking area for Curly Creek Falls. Follow the easy trail (stay right at the junction) to the viewpoint in under 500 feet.While not exactly an uncommon occurrence, a waterfall with a natural arch spanning its face is something that not many people will see in their lifetimes. Residence of Washington State are however privileged to have a waterfall with not just one, but two natural arches spanning its face - the next closest waterfalls with even one arch being in British Columbia, Alberta and Wyoming. Having two arches spanning the falls places Curly Creek among a globally exclusive list; there may be only a handful of waterfalls on the entire planet able to make that claim. Further, as if one geological anomaly wasn't enough, it appears that severe flooding in 2003 debris was removed from the streambed which previously covered a section of pourous bedrock - likely a lava tube - which Curly Creek intersects and is now perforated enough to swallow the creek whole, causing the falls to cease flowing by the end of July in most years. This appears to now be a permanent characteristic (at least until the hole gets re-clogged) whereas the falls were not known to dry out prior to 2003 (Curly Creek has a significantly large drainage basin and the waterfalls upstream flow well all year).