Ludlow Falls

From the west end of the Hood Canal Bridge, drive west on WA-104 for about 5 miles then turn right (north) onto WA-19, signed for Ports Ludlow and Port Townsend. Continue for 1-3/4 miles and turn right onto Oak Bay Road (again, signed for Port Ludlow). In another 1.2 miles turn right at Breaker Lane, then take the second right (the first is the entrance to the Port Ludlow RV Park) onto a gravel drive and follow it to a small parking area at its end, adjacent to a small park with a garden. The trail embarks here, and makes a loop past the falls - follow the loop trail counter-clockwise to reach the falls fastest in about 1/4 of a mile.Ludlow Falls is a pretty yet somewhat underwhelming cascading waterfall located right at the edge of the town of Port Ludlow, just a short distance from the Hood Canal Bridge. The falls drop a total of 33 feet in a series of cascades which start with a set of small cascades which pour into potholes, then a stretch of stream which sheets across a smooth exposure of bedrock, and finally a steeper veiling cascade which finishes off the falls. As of 2018 there were several logs fallen over the middle of the falls, as well as an ever-growing logjam at the bottom of the falls which clutters the view and makes the waterfall more difficult to appreciate. The falls are accessed via a small nature trail suitable for all ages. Ludlow Creek drains from a moderately large basin, covering approximately 12.75 square miles in area. However because the entirety of the basin is 500 feet above sea level or less, there is a pronounced seasonal variation in the volume of the stream. The creek should never run dry, but will be greatly reduced in volume by mid summer. Several small lakes, ponds, and marshlands feed the creek and give it a distinct brown color due to tannic acid leaching into the water from the wetlands in the area.