Located 1.5 hours northeast of Portland in southwest Washington, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s Siouxon Roadless Area is part of the 1902 Yacolt Burn. Much of the 100-year-old forest, however, is younger because fires continued to erupt in the area until 1930. The easy out-and-back trek to Chinook Falls (roughly 1,000' elevation over 8 miles) features the main waterfalls of the Siouxon Basin along the undulating Siouxon Trail (pronounced "SOO-sahn"). Visitors are entranced by the deep green and lush shadiness of the valley, and the proximity to water.
From the trailhead, pick up Siouxon Trail #130 and descend into a lush forest of Douglas-fir and western hemlock with a carpet of oxalis and sword fern. Take the footbridge over West Creek and continue along Siouxon Creek. Keep straight at a junction and cross another footbridge over Horseshoe Creek.
From the trailhead, pick up Siouxon Trail #130 and descend into a lush forest of Douglas-fir and western hemlock with a carpet of oxalis and sword fern. Take the footbridge over West Creek and continue along Siouxon Creek. Keep straight at a junction and cross another footbridge over Horseshoe Creek.
After 2 miles, reach a bench that looks out toward Siouxon Falls. The creek here plunges noisily through a rocky cleft and forms a large pool, which is great for a dip on a summer day.
Continuing on, come to another junction and follow the path along Siouxon Creek. Take the final footbridge to the next junction while looking upstream to 14-mile Falls. From here, Chinook Trail #130A follows Chinook Creek, eventually reaching the crossing below Chinook Falls. The 60' waterfall is best viewed from mid-creek or the west bank.
Note: experienced hikers can continue on to Wildcat Falls, which requires crossing a rushing ford to complete a lollipop loop or backtracking for a longer trek. After enjoying the view, I turned around at Chinook Falls. 12:30pm-3:30pm RT.
This beautiful waterfall hike reminded me of Opal Creek. A misty drizzle blanketed the trail all afternoon, which caused me to reflect on my growth since my Denver days when I would never consider such an outing without an early alarm and a bluebird forecast. I would love to return to this area later in summer and backpack to one of the campsites along the creek.
This beautiful waterfall hike reminded me of Opal Creek. A misty drizzle blanketed the trail all afternoon, which caused me to reflect on my growth since my Denver days when I would never consider such an outing without an early alarm and a bluebird forecast. I would love to return to this area later in summer and backpack to one of the campsites along the creek.
