Warning: !!! No signal/Very spotty. Download offline maps before going…read more If you're planning a trip to Lower Falls in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, come prepared. This is one of the most beautiful swimming holes I've visited in Washington, but it's also one of those places where respecting nature--and the journey to get there--is essential. The first thing I want to mention is the drive in, because it's something I wish I had known beforehand. If you have a small or low-clearance car, take your time. The last 1 1/2 to 2 miles are on an unpaved dirt road with potholes, dips, loose gravel, and no guardrails in some sections. The road is narrow enough that it almost feels like a one-lane road, even though traffic travels both directions. There are no center lines, so be mindful of oncoming vehicles and share the road carefully. I highly recommend driving 10 mph or less. There are signs warning about some of the larger dips, and they're there for a reason. If you hit them going 15 mph or faster--especially in a smaller car--your suspension and axles are going to feel it. It's not a difficult drive if you take it slow, but patience is definitely rewarded here. I brought my dog with me, and because of that, I'd personally rate this hike as hard. The trail itself isn't especially long, but getting down to the falls requires navigating steep, uneven terrain, and the final descent can be slippery. When you arrive at the trailhead, make a right and follow the well-worn paths. Eventually you'll come across ropes that help you descend the steeper sections. They're there for a reason--use them. They'll lead you all the way down to the falls. The waterfall itself is stunning. The water is shallow when you first step in, but don't let that fool you. As you move closer to the falls, there's a sudden drop-off. The right side tends to stay a bit shallower, but the rocks throughout the area are incredibly slippery. Water shoes with good grip are an absolute must. Even with them, take your time. I saw people cliff jumping, tubing, swimming, and even fishing (although I didn't notice any fish myself). If you're planning to float, I highly recommend bringing a life jacket. Before you even reach the trail, there's a large warning sign explaining that someone lost their life here after slipping on the rocks. It's a sobering reminder that this beautiful place deserves caution and respect. There's also a rocky, pebble-covered area beside the falls that's perfect for laying out a towel and soaking up the sun. My dog loved splashing around in the water, although it was very cold. If you're bringing your own dog, consider a canine life jacket if they aren't a confident swimmer. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around. A few practical tips: there are restrooms near the entrance, but during my visit there wasn't a handwashing station, and toilet paper can run out. Bring your own toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes just in case. The trail also gets muddy because everyone is walking back and forth from the water, so don't wear shoes you're trying to keep spotless. Parking requires a $5 day-use fee, either paid in cash on-site or purchased online before you arrive. Also, keep in mind that the Discover Pass is not valid here because this is a National Forest, not a Washington State Park. Lower Falls is absolutely worth the trip. The emerald water, the sound of the falls, and the surrounding forest make it feel like you've discovered a hidden corner of Washington. Just come prepared, respect the water, take the drive slowly, and you'll have an unforgettable day.

I came here by myself and did not know that you need to make the parking reservation online ($5)…read morethen get a day pass to use ($2), so $7 total. Thank gosh for the super duper helpful and kindhearted camp host who helped me out. Thankful for him! So much so!! I was truly so worried that I could not go here after having driven for 3 hours, but it was all good. I was still able to go and oh my goodness! So beautiful. Not a hard hike and only like 1/8 miles away of a walk from the parking site to the waterfalls. Be watchful of the slippery rocks because you can easily get lost in the rapid waters if you tryna get a super duper cool photo of the waterfalls. No signal when I was in the parking site and on the way to this location for a couple miles out. So, have your offline maps ready.

Siouxon Creek Trail is absolutely beautiful. The parking area fills up quickly, so get there…read morefairly early, or later in afternoon to ensure a parking spot. There are not any restroom facilities so be prepared for that. The trail is well-maintained and you start out at parking area and hike down past several campsites. It can be crowded here on weekends with lots of campers and hikers. TJe hike is mostly easy, but is over 8 miles. The last haunt up to the arming area can be brutal since it's all uphill. It is so worth it though!

Siouxon Creek is a popular trail for trail biking and walking. It is a beautiful second growth…read moreforest watershed with a lot of hemlock. They are the ones with short flat needles and a drooping top sprite. Amboy has the St Helens monument offices and an abandoned mill. You can see the results as you head up towards Siouxon, this is a small logging town. Sometimes the forest service road signs, especially the 5701, go missing. But if you are on track, you will climb up to the ridge and look down on the Siouxon watershed. Drop over and there is a large parking lot. On foot the trail is easy. It's also easy on a bike. There are some rocky and rooty sections. Then there is a broad soft hemlock-needled trail with beautiful creek views. The right time of day, the sun illuminates the creek. This spot can hook you on NW trail biking. The watershed had a forest fire about 100 years ago. And even with the valley being primarily hemlock, a much lesser wood than fir or cedar, there was a plan to log it down. But they didn't, and left this small valley for you, me and everyone we know.

0.86 mi, 289 ft elevation gain, 20 minutes to complete…read more Short and easy low effort- high reward hike! The first viewpoint is alright, you can see the top of the falls from there... the real money shot is from the lower viewpoint. Definitely take the little extra path down- you will not regret it. Don't be fooled, there is an I maintained path on the way to the true lower viewpoint. Make sure to stay on the true pathway to avoid injuries.

I have plans to climb Ranier 7/2026, but I've never had exposure to snow trekking. My friend…read moregraciously offered to give me a 101 crash course on MSH. Of course, I took the opportunity and flew to Portland and drove out to MSH. The day was perfect and the hike was incredible. I learned so many new skills. MSH is just beautiful and we caught the sunrise on a clear day. Get your parking before hand. I grabbed mine at REI in Portland. Please come and create your own adventure.

Mount Saint Helens is a must see. The beauty and history is unmatched. It's a great place to…read morespend the day.

I selected PDX Rafting for my company's summer retreat and we had the best day ever! I would…read morerecommend this company to anyone who likes having fun. I'm already mentally planning the next time I can raft with this company! Scott, the owner, is the friendliest person and makes you feel like part of the "rafting family" with his jokes and genuine care for each person in the party. Our raft guide, Jay, was 10/10 and made my entire trip unforgettable with all his knowledge of the Columbia Gorge and ability to create special experiences for our raft. If you want a company who believes in fun, adventure, and a great time -- this is the rafting company for you!

Disappointing and Astonishingly Unprofessional…read more If I could give zero stars, I would. I purchased a Groupon to go rafting with Portland Rafting, but when the booking directions on their website failed to accept the code, I called their customer service for assistance. What should have been a quick, exciting booking call turned into one of the most frustrating customer service experiences I've ever had. I was unfortunately met by someone named Scott, who claimed to be the owner. Given his unbelievable lack of professionalism, I find that hard to believe. From the second he answered, Scott made it abundantly clear that my call was an inconvenience to him. He was dismissive, uninterested in helping, and outright rude. When I calmly called him out on his attitude, instead of offering a standard professional response, he showered me with childish excuses: "Oh, well, it's just a busy morning" and "Oh, well, dude, it's not that big of a deal." Continually calling a paying customer "dude" and telling me to "chill out" is completely unacceptable. When I attempted to address the situation like an adult and requested a genuine apology for how I was being treated, he refused to take accountability. His actual response? "Not going to do that." It is disgusting to treat customers this way. If you are frustrated by honorably fulfilling Groupon vouchers, don't list your business on Groupon in the first place. More importantly, someone who lacks the basic maturity to handle a simple phone call should absolutely not be trusted with people's safety on the water. Save yourself the headache. There are plenty of reputable rafting companies in the area--take your business to literally anyone else.

This is a short hike and an easy one. Finding the hike was not so easy despite general information…read moreon trail websites to the contrary. It looked like some of the signage may have been removed, but in any case take the time to work out the details of where you're going in order to find the trail with reliability and ease. Once located the trail gives some nice examples of old growth and not much else. The hike has little variety, but it's still a pleasant diversion and located in a beautiful part of Washington.

This is a beautiful lake. It sits within view of Mt. St. Helen's near the Johnston Ridge…read moreObservatory and the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater. You can miss it if you are on the way to the observatory given there a good sign on the way up. There's a trail that goes around the lake that is well established. One kayak here and I hear there's some pretty good trout in the waters. I though the lake and the surrounding scenery were quite beautiful, especially along the trails. It's a great place for pictures and such. There are restrooms available, potable water, but to motor boats nor overnight camping is allowed.

Mount St Helens is the first glacial mountain I ever climbed. I've also hiked the entire Loowit…read moretrail along with many of the other trails in the park. Love this place! Been visiting Coldwater Lake for as long as it's been open. It used to be a well kept secret but in more recent years it's become difficult to experience the serene experience that it once was due to it's increasing popularity. The Rangers and park staff are awesome as is almost always the case in National reserves. They do "require" a national pass here and elsewhere in the park but that requirement is rarely enforced and I've never seen it enforced any place other than at the Johnston Observatory. There is a boat launch area and they may well be checking for passes in vehicles over there. I am so thankful that the Park Service is so committed to monuments like this one. Been coming here for many, many years and hope to do so for a long time to come. Coldwater Lake is one of our very favorite places to visit at almost any time of the year.

I went here with a group of 14 people plus a dog for 2 nights. You can reserve a group camp site…read morehere for $40 a night, which is a really good deal. Our campsite was very spacious, we probably could have put 4 more tents and still have room for a few more cars to park. The site had a bonfire pit, 2 trash cans, a water pipe and 5 picnic tables. It was a good thing we brought our grills along so we had a separate area to prepare food while everyone else can hang around the bonfire to hang out or roast smores. There is a bathroom nearby and it was surprisingly clean! They stock the toilet paper and soap on a regular basis. There is a shower available but it will cost you $2 for 5 min (quarters only). Oh and beware, the first 10 seconds is super cold but it will heat up after that. There are so many things to do outside of the park. Some of the activities you can do around here are fish at Trout Lake, go white water rafting with various companies (we went with Blue Sky Outfitters, review soon to come), hiking and so on. So there is something for everyone in your group to enjoy! The park rangers here were very helpful as well. Upon arrival, we were greeted and had a quick run through on where to find the bathroom, rules and other helpful tips. She even helped us find a place to find tools to unlock our friend's car since she left her keys in there. We did call AAA but they told us to call back at 11 pm...and our food was in that car, so we had no choice but to break in. Anyways, the park ranger kept checking up on us until we finally did and cheer. Hahaha yes that was a very interesting event. Before you go and book your trip, here are some things to keep in mind: * Google map your trip! There are points in the trip where you will be driving on a long stretch of road for a long period of time before you get to turn. By google mapping, you will have time estimations to show how long you have until your next turn. * Leave early. Although google maps said it was a 4 hour drive from Seattle, it took us 5 plus hours to get there thanks to the traffic around the Tacoma Dome on I-5. Also there are a few sharp turns around Trout Lake that don't have lighting at night, which was pretty scary to drive through. * Make sure someone in your group has AT&T!!! That is the only provider that has service out here. We got lucky that 2 of our friends had AT&T so it was easier for us when we made runs to get supplies. I definitely would love to come back here for another camping trip! **EDIT: I don't know who changed the info for the park but the park is in Trout Lake, NOT Goldendale, WA.

Very clean, great camp host on site for local information. A bit small and tight on spots, very few…read moreoffer privacy.