I arrived around 0700. The temperature was uncomfortably chill until the hike got steeper. I took the wooded trail through to upper falls and there were no obstacles. The trail was damp, but not bad. The river and falls are flush with snowmelt and look good.

After seeing the falls, I took the trail up to the road and followed that to Wallace lake. Signs are posted for logging, but there was no activity today. The tail to the road and the road were easy with no obstacles. Due to the logging, the road had a clear view of all surrounding mountains.

Once you leave the road, but before Wallace lake, the tail turns muddy and there are 3-4 downed logs: none of them posted a serious challenge. The lake was calm and beautiful when I got there.

I returned via the northern part of the wooded loop. At this point (~1100), people traffic picked up but it didn't get seriously congested until I met back up with the lower wooded trail (the main trail for the falls).

Temperatures rose high enough to be comfortable in a tee around 1000.

Observed creatures:
Fox
Crows
Squirrels
Bush tits
Slugs
Small butterflies
People & Dogs

Observed flowers:
Huckleberries
Salmon berries
Butterburs
some adorable yellow flowers

Trails have held up well in the recent rain. A little mud here and there but that’s to be expected this time of year. Active logging happening along the road connection between the upper falls and the lake. Not a fan of road hiking, but the flat stretch from upper falls to the lake was welcome after the rooty, rocky scramble to upper falls. Also parts of the trail just before Wallace Lake are more creek than trail. Lots of water. Wallace Lake was very full. Would need to hike further along the shore than this route to find access to the lake. Not that many people today on a drizzly Friday. Falls were thundering and lots of water in the creeks and river.

Hiked the trail counterclockwise. Started the hike a little before 10am and there were still parking spots available but the trail was already pretty busy. Trail is in very good condition. No logging activity as it was a Saturday. All trail intersections very well signed. Finished the hike around 3pm, going at a moderate pace. Parking lot was full when we finished and cars lined the road near the under-construction housing development on the way out. A great snow-free hike on a sunny day!

I attempted to hike the full loop counterclockwise on Wednesday, March 19, starting at about 11 am. I made it past the upper falls and about halfway down the logging road towards the lake before I encountered active logging blocking the road. Other trip reports mention this possibility, and there was lots of signage in the area warning of this, so I knew there was a chance I couldn't complete the hike I had planned. They were totally blocking the road and were quite loud, so while I could have attempted to pass I didn't feel it was safe to try to compete with such large equipment. I turned around and headed back the way I came. I assume that this is less likely on weekends, but be cautious and aware.

As others mentioned, the logging activity has opened up quite a lot of the view, at least compared to when I was last here a year ago. It’s also amazing to note the immediate change in the environment as I crossed back into the state park land from the timber sale forest. The foliage was greener and more luscious, and the temperature dropped considerably within 10 feet of crossing the boundary. Remarkable.

The trail itself was in good condition. No snow (though some snow off-trail on the logging road), some mud, but not as much as I was expecting. Based on the number of freshly cut trees just off-trail, I can easily see how much work has been done this winter to clear the trail. The trail is more up than I remembered, especially to the upper falls, but quite a high payoff with lovely views. My favorite view was the lower falls with the middle falls above. The middle falls were actually visible from Hwy 2 on my drive in, as well.

I stopped and had lunch at the Upper Falls viewpoint on my return, and noticed there were some bugs present, including biting ones. Something tried to bite me through my thick leggings, and I didn’t get a good look as I shooed it away - either a large mosquito or a biting fly. It feels early, but they are out.

Trailhead is so lovely compared to lots of others out there. Flushing toilets! Hand dryers! Soap! Plenty of parking on this mid-week hiking day, though there were a couple of hiking groups gathered.

Hiked up the Woody Trail to the Upper Falls….the trail is in great shape. Thanks to all those that helped to clear it. I heard there were over 250 trees. Falls were spectacular, as always. We hiked up above the Upper Falls to Wallace Lake. There was some snow on the ground closer to the lake. We saw the signs warning of logging operations but I don’t think they were working in the day we went. Bridge across to lake was snowy and icy. We took a left right after on the Greg Ball trail to head back down. Everything is really well signed so easy to follow.
The trail was really lovely and well-maintained. As we came out and crossed the first road, we saw a huge bobcat heading away from us. It looked like he had come out of the Greg Ball continuation trail across the road. It looked fairly dark, but was really good-sized.
Rest of the hike was good. A good early-season workout. I always appreciate how well-maintained everything is at this place…very clean bathrooms, good signage, really nice trails.