Lower Wallace Falls

Drive from Monroe along U.S. 2 to Gold Bar, and turn North at the sign for Wallace Falls State Park. Follow the brown State Park signs to the parking and trailhead in about 4 miles. The first 1/3 mile of the hike is very boring, following high-tension lines in a clear cut. Just as the trail enters the woods, the trails split - the left fork following an old railroad grade and the right fork, the Woody Trail, traverses the woods. They join together just above the crossing of the North Fork Wallace River, about 1 1/2 miles from the trailhead via the Woody Trail, and 2 3/4 miles via the RR grade. About 1/4 mile beyond is the Picnic shelter at the Lower Falls viewpoint.Lower Wallace Falls is the final of a trio of multi-step waterfalls found along the Wallace River within Wallace Falls State Park, and is the first significant waterfall encountered by hikers en route to the main falls. Though more hikers likely see the lower falls than the main falls due to it serving as a good turn around point for casual visitors, the majority of the falls is both hidden from view, and the spectacle of the largest drop of Wallace Falls serves as a distraction as it can be seen above the trees from the picnic shelter adjacent to the beginning of the lower falls. The lower falls are made up of six distinct steps which drop a cumulative 224 feet. The falls begin with a series of cascades visible in front of the picnic shelter which drop 10 and 13 feet respectively. The third drop is a horsetail type fall which slides 26 feet into a large pool just downstream of the picnic shelter, and can also be seen from a fenced viewpoint. The fourth and fifth tiers are both sheer plunge style drops of 36 and 42 feet respectively, neither of which are visible from the trail. The final drop is a sliding horsetail style fall which drops 62 feet as it tumbles down a narrow crevice in the bedrock, and like the previous two steps cannot be seen from the trail. The remainder of the total height of the falls is made up in cascades between each step.