Spoon Creek Falls

There are multiple routes to the Wynoochee Lake area in Olympic National Forest. The most direct route is to take Highway 12 west from Olympia to Montesano, and exit the freeway at the Devonshire Road exit, then go straight at the intersection at the end of the off-ramp onto Wynoochee Valley Road, and follow Wynoochee Valley Road for 35.5 miles to where it officially becomes National Forest Road 2312 at the junction with NFR-22; a sign at this point will mark the way to the Wynoochee Dam. An alternate route to this point is to take Highway 101 north from Hoquiam for 25 miles, then turn right onto Donkey Creek Road (NFR-22), and continue another 14 miles to the aforementioned junction with Wynoochee Valley Road. From either direction, from the junction continue north on NFR-2312 for just 300 feet then bear right (east) onto NFR-23 which is signed for Spider Lake. Follow Road 23 for 2-1/2 miles to the signed Spoon Creek Falls trailhead just after crossing the Satsop River Gorge on a high concrete bridge. An obscured view of the falls is available from a fenced overlook just 100 feet down the trail from the road, but for a clear view it's necessary to hike the full 1/3 mile to the base of the falls. If the creek is running high, it may be necessary to wade upstream for a few hundred feet in order to see the falls from below.Spoon Creek Falls is a moderate volume waterfall set in a grotto with a huge pool at its base perfect for swimming. The falls drop a total of 93 feet in four distinct tiers, first in two back-to-back punchbowl drops set deep in a pothole gorge at the top of the cliff - neither of which can be seen from the base of the falls (and only through-the-tree views are available, no clear perspectives could be found). The third tier is the largest, skipping 66 feet down a smooth wall into a small pocket hollowed in the rock, followed by the final 7 foot drop as it spills from the pocket into the huge 90-foot diameter pool at the base of the falls. As of our survey in June 2017 a large tree had fallen into the pool at the base of the falls, somewhat spoiling the otherwise pristine scene. Should flood waters not wash this log further downstream it may end up decaying in place for quite some time. A nice informal campsite can be found at the top of the falls, just off the road near the trailhead. A rough path leads down from the campsite to the top of the two upper tiers of the falls, but it isn't clear whether there are any potential views available (we didn't have time to investigate on our latest visit). Downstream from the falls Spoon Creek flows into the Satsop River just downstream of a fairly impressive gorge. It is possible to access the gorge on foot by wading down Spoon Creek, but the water appeared to be far too deep to wade upstream in the river to explore further.