Little Mashel Falls

While there are multiple ways to reach the waterfalls of the Little Mashel River, all routes should utilize the Bud Blancher Trail, as other approaches are either no longer sanctioned or may be temporarily closed due to logging operations. Public parking can be found at the Bud Blancher Trailhead or Smallwood Park in Eatonville, or at the Pack Forest Headquarters off Highway 7 (only open on weekdays). Accessing the falls from Alder Cutoff Road is no longer permitted by the town of Eatonville.
From the Bud Blancher Trailhead, follow the trail for about 1.3 miles to where it crosses the Little Mashel River (the second river crossed), then bear left onto the Falls Trail shortly after. The Falls Trail climbs uphill and after a third of a mile nears the falls. Take the second fork to the left to reach this waterfall (the first left goes to the lower falls), which is encountered after descending down a series of often muddy steps for another tenth of a mile.Little Mashel Falls is the largest and best of the trifecta of waterfalls within the gorge of its namesake river as it splashes towards Eatonville. The "Little" in its name should not at all be construed as an indictment of the stature of this waterfall however. The Little Mashel River produces this scenic 92-foot tall falls as it rolls and then slides down a chute, expanding outward into a broad, graceful veil as it falls to the rocks below. The cliff producing the falls is undercut toward the bottom just enough that it's possible to walk behind the falls - this is actually easier to do when the river is running higher because the water will shoot out from the cliff further.
In the late summer months, the volume of the Little Mashel River is reduced considerably, which reverts the falls to a gentle spray of water down a mossy cliff. In the winter and spring months however, the volume of the river can engorge to over twenty times its summer flow. This results in the falls spreading out to over 60 feet in width, and exploding outwards away from its cliff as it falls - the spray from which can be absolutely blinding.
The waterfalls along the Little Mashel River are a popular spot for locals in the summer months. Numerous swimming holes provide enticing opportunities to cool off from the heat, but as is common at such places, this has lead to a lot of trash being left around the area. Please be considerate if you visit and be sure to pack out everything you pack in.
Lastly, there are trails which provide access to the unguarded cliffs at the top of the falls. We've seen memorial crosses erected at various locations around the falls in the past, a sobering reminder that waterfalls can be deadly. Please exercise appropriate caution around the cliffs in this area.Originally this waterfall was simply known as just Mashel Falls. The name was likely adjusted to reflect the proper title of the river once it was more established that the actual Mashel River was the next drainage north. We've seen references to it being called Bridal Veil Falls (very fittingly) as well, but this seems to be more of a colloquialism than anything else.