Cedar Falls — Tuesday, May. 27, 2014

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20

My boyfriend and I were looking for a hike to do on the way home from Mazama. We wanted something that was only a couple of hours long but offered great views, and Cedar Falls was what we got. Boy were we lucky. We didn't know what to expect; we happened to be in for a treat. The Cedar Falls trail was really well maintained and sported all sorts of gorgeous wildflowers. We had fun pointing out the different blooms, everything from Indian paintbrush to lupine to balsamroot. It was a pretty easy 1.75-mile trek up to the falls. The trail wasn't all that steep, and we were motivated by the constant sound of crashing water. Once we made it to the falls, it was time for a picnic lunch. We ate our sandwiches on a rock overlooking the cascading water and made time for some reading. It was the perfect spot to just relax and enjoy nature. Counting lunch, we made it up and back down the trail in just about 3 hours. Plenty of time to drive Hwy 20 back to the west side of the state. Our Vote: You'll love this trail! Considerations: - You'll need a NW Forest Pass. - Watch out for down trees. We saw several that had fallen across the trail and then been cut up by the Forest Service (looked recent). - Bring your sunscreen. There's not a lot of tree cover on this hike, and you could easily get baked by the sun in warm weather.