How long is the trail?
About 3.1 miles round-trip.
How difficult is the trail?
Highlights: Clearly marked signs; Easy to navigate; Good mix of sun and shade; Mostly-level trail; Dogs enjoyed smells & sounds of the woods + possibility to be off-leash, as well as wading near the falls; Possibly buggy (gnats); Possible gunshot noise; Small parking lot and a WA 'Discover Pass' is required to park
About the trail: This is a fairly easy hike since it is mostly flat terrain. Our walk tracker recorded an elevation change of 350 feet. The trail is partly gravel and partly dirt with most of the pathway covered in forested shade. The trail dead-ends at the waterfall after a journey of approximately 1.56 miles, making an out-and-back round-trip of 3.12 miles.
Getting there: The road to the tiny parking lot, which is 2.3 miles into the forest after turning off the main road, is paved and well-maintained, but be certain to bear left when you see the sign for Camp Edward, and also avoid veering off onto any dirt logging roads. Here is a link for more information about obtaining a Washington 'Discover Pass," which is required to park. Below is a Google map of the parking lot:
After parking (where Monroe Camp Road ends in a barricade), you'll walk around the gate and start heading down the gravel road, although at first you won't see any signs directing you to the waterfall. Don't worry, when it's time to turn off the gravel road (when you've gone 0.85 miles), you'll know, as there are multiple signs posted on the trees-- and arrows on the trees-- and pink lettering on the trees-- and pink flagging on the trees-- and also some NO TRESPASSING signs that warn you not to continue along the same road. Once you've made the turn, continue following the signs to the falls, and don't be alarmed when you encounter another gate to walk through; the falls aren't far beyond it. Here are a few pictures we took along the way:
Our experience: This enjoyable out-and-back hike offers an easy, peaceful stroll through elegant woods, free of human-associated background noise. Best of all is the destination: a graceful waterfall, "Explorer Falls," that tumbles 50 feet over a sheer cliff. If you come here, you've got a good chance at having the falls all to yourself, as this place is definitely off-the-beaten-path and there are no advertisements for it along the nearest main road (Lake Roesiger Road).
After walking 1.56 miles, we reached the base of the falls, (optionally) crossing the creek (lots of stepping stones!) to get closer. It is lovely and relaxing to sit by the falls, so we recommend that you plan enough time for your hike to stay and be lazy for a bit. Our dogs enjoyed wading in the clear, cool water; they aren't swimmers, but if your dogs are, they'll definitely find joy in the bowl-shaped pool at the base of the falls.
We had Kiwi off-leash for most of this hike; she listens well and stays right near us, but we always leash her up when we encounter other people, just to be polite. Bogo would have been off-leash, too, except that just as we were beginning our walk, we heard gunshots off in the distance. This was the only negative of the trail for us, as Bogo is terrified of gunshots. The noise was far-off, so we got him to walk willingly by having him on the leash next to our sides, but we knew from experience that if we had unhooked his leash, he would have run straight into the nearest bushes and hunkered down! Luckily for Bogo, the soothing crash of water at the falls offered a welcome reprieve from any gunshot noise.
Thanks to the calming effect of the waterfall, Bogo was much more relaxed on our walk back. We all very much enjoyed this outing, especially because we were a bit low on energy after spending the previous 3 hours traveling in the car. The easy, level hike through peaceful woods leading to a soothing waterfall was just what we needed to refresh after a sedentary morning of battling traffic. We highly recommend the trail to Explorer Falls!
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