My first time on this trail, and I loved it. It's short and easy. Unlike the trails at Windy Ridge, much of this one has shade from the alders; at least at 7:30, a bit less so on the return at  9-9:30. And there is no construction (there is at Windy Ridge)! Everything the previous reporter said is true, however it is all minor. A few brief rough patches in the road, but mostly in great shape. The edge of the trail is clearly visible in the vegetation. There is some mud at the grotto, not a big deal. Non-biting bugs, not even annoying. The flowers are plentiful, probably not quite at prime.

I was there on a ridiculously hot day and arrived a little later than I hoped from my home 2.5 hours away, thanks to road construction on US 12, so the hike back was very warm. I enjoyed a blast of cool air through a narrow canyon at what is probably a runoff creek earlier in the season, but dry now, and getting wet under the dripping grotto.

The lake is not easily accessible, but I was bent on touching the water, and found a way through the logs that were on dry land, avoiding those in the water. My family used to canoe in Spirit Lake, it's been so long since I touched it. It's warm and clear.

I was alone on the trail, and mostly on the road. There is a spot on the road where you can see Tahoma, Wy'East, and Loowit.

More words and photos on my blog.

FR 99 is drivable by any car, but isn't in the best conditions so it'll be slow going. There are no toilets at the TH.  Your best option would be to use the ones at the Monument Entry Road Interpretive Site, though they ran out of TP by the end of the day.  

This trail could definitely use some work; brush is badly encroaching along the upper section, including lots of prickly berry bushes and a bit of devil's club.  I saw lots of people in shorts and short sleeve shirts, but personally was glad I had long sleeves and pants to protect a bit.  Also the tread on the trail is not very wide; I almost turned an ankle when I accidentally stepped off the side while fighting my way through a bush. There were two small trees also down across the trail (in addition to the large one near the grotto mentioned in the trail description on the WTA site) but both were fairly easy to get under.

Eventually you get out of the brush and into an open, exposed, flat section of trail before you make the final quick descent to the lake.  Please keep in mind that swimming in Spirit Lake is not allowed due to the dangerous nature of the shifting logs.  

There were a huge variety of flowers along the trail.  Sitka Valerian, Penstemon, Lupine, Paintbrush, Plumed Solomon's Seal, Thimbleberries, Salmonberries, Vanillaleaf, Yarrow, Foamflowers, Bleeding Heart, Strawberries, Springbeauty, Bunchberries, Pussypaws, Northern Goldenrod, and more!

Forest Road 99 will be open on or around July 4th, providing access to the Windy Ridge Viewpoint and other trails in the area. Due to a landslide of Forest Road 25, Randle and Forest Road 99 will be inaccessible from Cougar. Contact the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument for more information at 360-449-7800.

Harmony Falls trailhead is a turnoff on the way to Windy Ridge on the North side of Mt. St Helens. From Randle, WA, take WA-131 which turns into NF25. You’ll turn right onto NF99 about 17 miles in and then drive another ~13 miles to the trailhead on the right side of the road. It is one of only a few trails that takes you to Spirit Lake. There is parking for 10+ cars. No privy. You need a NW Forest Pass to park here. On an early October, Saturday morning, I was the only one parked at the trailhead when I started and when I finished.

The trail is relatively short (~1.25 miles one way) downhill and then back uphill. The trail is narrow in most places and is overgrown quite a bit (maples and other hardwoods), though not enough to prevent you from knowing where to go. The trail itself is at times gravelly/ashy or gravelly/muddy, depending on where you are on the trail. I heard birds and a chipmunk, but didn’t see any other wildlife. There were several signs to encourage hikers to stay on the trail.

The falls are at the end of the trail, but not that impressive. The real treat is the views of Spirit Lake and the mountain (snow covered!). There were a few big trees downed along the side of the trail that were impressive in size. Fall colors were visible everywhere. It’s amazing to see the changes since the blast. I can see why people like this trail in the summer, but there isn’t a ‘beach front’ and not much shade. I visited on a cloudy, foggy day and it was quite peaceful. There are lots of rocks to sit on and enjoy the view.

This is a fantastic hike, and it seems under-utilized and under-appreciated.  I can't understand why it is not immensely more popular.  I mean, seriously, a hike to a stunningly beautiful and geologically significant site, long enough to provide a workout and feeling of accomplishment, but short enough to be accessible to "non-serious" hikers.  But, I suppose I should not be complainng.

I'll make a few notes here:

(1) First, know that there is an error in the directions on the WTA writeup of this site (unless it has been corrected as a result of this report).  Heading east from I-5 on U.S. 12, Randle is MUCH farther than 17 miles.  Randle is 17 miles east of US 12's intersection with WA State Route 7.  Randle about 48 miles east of I-5.

(2) The Forest Service routes 25 and 99 are paved and not too bad, though there are sections that are rutty and potholed, and some very short sections (no more than 100-200 yards each) that are gravel.  The posted speed is 35 mph in most sections, which should not be a problematic speed for most vehicles to maintain.  But, in sunny conditions, be alert to sudden potholes that may be lurking in shadows and difficult to see until you are right upon them.  Unfortunately, on our drive up, we got caught behind a 20-car convoy of Mini Coopers, evidently some sort of outing of a "Mini Cooper Club"; they were traveling annoyingly slow and while there are places on the route to pass 1 or 2 vehicles, it's impossible to pass 20 of them.  I and my travel companions rejoiced when they all turned into an overlook, but this happened only after 45 minutes of a painfully slow ascent.  Folks, if you drive slow and a line of cars is forming, show some self-awareness and courtesy:  pull over to let them pass.

(3) As for the trail:  Hiking in the Mt. St. Helen's blast zone is reminiscent of hiking in the desert, with full sun exposure the norm.  Fortunately, however, in the mid-day sun there is an ample amount of shade along the first two-thirds of the Harmony Falls Trail on account of the fact that it hugs a north-facing slope and there is a good amount of shade-producing vegetation.

(4) There are sections of the trail that are being encroached by vegetation.  Routefinding is never problematic, but there are portions where you'll be pushing your way through some leaves and such.

(5) The "grotto" about halfway down the trail provided a steady cold trickle of water that was great for cooling off.  I also drank a few sips without treating it (I know, a "no no", but with no ill effects).

(6) Do beware that there are some sections of the trail where the downslope portion of the trail's width is unstable; on one occasion, my right foot "punched through" the dusty and unstable trail; stay to the "upslope" half of the trail's width when possible.

(7) On a beautiful July Saturday afternoon, we encountered one couple hiking up the trail during our descent; one solo female hiker at the lakeshore, and one solo male hiker descending as we were ascending.

(8) My Fitbit recorded 2.55 miles round trip including some lakeshore exploration, 6460 steps, 669 calories burned.  Hike start time:  12:31 PM, arrival at lakeshore 1:03 PM (32 minutes down).  Departed lakeshore 1:20 PM, arrival at car 1:57 PM (37 minutes up).  My hiking party was three generally fit people in their 50s, and a dog.

(8) I'd suggest the USFS to rename this hike "Spirit Lake Hike" instead of "Harmony Falls Hike".  Not realizing it was not called "Spirit Lake Hike" made it a little more difficult than it should have been to seek info on this hike when I was looking into it.

Anyway, ENJOY!