This trail is one of my favorite short hikes in the Methow Valley, providing nice waterfall views and sweeping Chewuch River valley vistas. The first bit of the trail is a paved gradual incline to the base of an impressive falls. If you continue on, the trail climbs to a nice overlook at the top of the falls, and from there the trail continues to climb taking you to lovely views of more waterfalls as the creek climbs the canyon. (It's named Falls Creek for a reason!) I've hiked this trail most often in July-August, and there is still plenty of water in the creek then, but the waterfall views were noticeably more impressive at this time of year.
I consider this trail to be a family friendly--I've hiked it with young kids and older grandparents. But, although it's short, it's not flat and you will definitely want to keep an eye (or a hand) on little ones and furry friends when you're near waterfall overlooks.
The trail is in reasonably good condition along the waterfall stretch, but the tread is a bit loose, so you'll want to have shoes with good traction and watch your step (especially on the way down). The last 1/2 mile of the trail before it hits FS Road 5140 is in somewhat rougher condition but still doable. At junction with the road, there is a nice large campsite that likely would make a nice rest stop to cool off in the creek in the summer months. (In late May, the water levels were still a bit high.)
For folks looking for a longer hike, it is possible to walk back FS Road 5140 (turning left at the junction). The road walk is much longer, but also a much gentler descent. Once you reach the Chewuch River Road, it's roughly another 1 mile back to the Falls Creek Falls trailhead. All told, my guess is the road loop is somewhere between 5-6 miles.
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