Deschutes Falls Park

 

This gem is Thurston County’s newest park and it is absolutely beautiful. While it can be a drive considering the back roads necessary to get there, it’s still fairly local in view of its location to Yelm and is definitely worth visiting for a day trip.*

While the park is over 150 acres, it’s not necessarily a place to visit if you’re looking for miles of hiking trails. This park is more for those who enjoy river walks, waterfalls and photography. There is a long road you will walk to access the forested area and once there, you can explore to your heart’s content.

When you enter the forested area, look to the right where a quick jaunt on a short trail will bring you to a fenced area overlooking a large waterfall. It’s not the best view of a large waterfall I’ve ever seen, but it was still nice since there aren’t many large waterfalls in Thurston County. Finding an access for a better view is not an option considering the dangerous and slick rocky gorge below the fence and surrounding area. 

The best views are upriver if you're into a short river walk.

As you make your way, you can walk along the water on the rocks while scouting for crawdads. Jozee didn’t know what to think of this crawdad but she enjoyed dipping her feet in the nice cool water.

Your next option is to follow the trail to the left of the forested entrance and after a bit of a walk you’ll discover a PNW treasure you’ll have a difficult time leaving. Once you make your way down to the river, you’ll find yourself moving over natural rock monoliths. These rocks are fun to move along as you explore the river, the pools of water and small waterfalls along the way. Here the river flows through a long beautiful gorge and the whole area is just a stunning area to explore. The gorge is also where you’ll find swimmers enjoying the natural lazy river. Except for die-hard hikers, there’s something for everyone.

And while this park doesn’t offer hiking trails like other parks, be sure to keep track of your personal items as you move around the park or you will get more than your fair share of steps in. We found that out the hard way when we had to retrace our steps and walk the road and trails multiple times looking for my driver’s license after it fell out of a pocket. We were fortunate that a family spending time at the gorge happened to find it and held on to it until they spotted me and recognized it was my ID. This setback could have put a damper on our trip to the park but we were thankful it ended on a positive note!

Jozee would have loved to explore the fields outside the park, but leashes are required so this was as far as she got. Even so, she enjoyed herself and had fun hiding in the long grass as she sniffed out critters.

* As with all parks, especially during the time of Covid restrictions, please check the park website before your planned visit to verify it is open and accessible to visitors.