Fir Creek Falls

Fir Creek Falls is a tall, multi-stepped waterfall which drops over the side of the valley of Vance Creek near the infamous Vance Creek Trestle. The falls drop a total of 224 feet in three distinct steps (arguably four tiers, but when it was surveyed in February 2018 the volume of the creek was high enough that it seemed like 3), with individual drops of 80, 81, and 64 feet. The uppermost tier is offset to the right from the middle and lower sections of the falls, so all three tiers cannot be seen collectively from any one location on the ground (without numerous trees obstructing the view at least). The upper tier is a squared-off, very symmetrical horsetail fall which drops into what looks like a very nice summer swimming hole. The creek then makes a zigzag around a fin of rock and drops over the final two tiers, first in a narrow channel where the water chutes through a crack in the bedrock, then in a nearly free-falling horsetail which rolls over its cliff in an almost convex manner. The drainage basin of Fir Creek covers an area of about 2.6 square miles, the majority of which lies below the 1500-foot mark in elevation. This means that almost all of the precipitation which falls in the area will be in the form of rain (though the Hood Canal area does get considerably more lowland snow that most other areas around Puget Sound). Rainfall totals for the area are however quite high, and there should be ample water present in the creek any time between November and the end of May to allow the falls to present themselves as impressively as possible. The creek doesn't likely run dry but by August and September it may be reduced to just a trickle. This waterfall is located on private timberland but can be accessed from public roads. Be aware that there are no trails to the falls, and visiting will require steep, potentially dangerous scrambling into the canyon of Fir Creek in order to reach clear views. The falls can be partially viewed from a gated logging road as well - whether the gates are open and the viewpoint can be driven to is likely to depend on the current activity on the tree farm. The best chance for the gates to be open is to visit on the weekend (this will also mitigate chances of encountering logging trucks).