Wallace Falls State Park is a public recreation area that encompasses 1380 acre along the Wallace River in Snohomish County, Washington. The state park is located on the west side of the Cascade Mountains with an entrance point 1 mi northeast of the community of Gold Bar. The park features three waterfalls, three backcountry lakes, old-growth coniferous forests, rushing mountain rivers and streams, and the evidence of its logging history in the ruins of railroad trestles, disused railroad grades, and springboard notches in stumps.

History

The name "Wallace" is a corruption of the last name of Joe and Sarah Kwayaylsh, members of the Skykomish tribe, who were the first homesteaders in the area. The park originated with the state's purchase of land from the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company in 1971.

Waterfalls

The park has three waterfalls: Upper Wallace Falls, which cannot be viewed in its entirety and drops 240 ft in five separate tiers; 367 ft Wallace Falls, the highlight of the park, which falls in three sections—the largest of which drops 265 ft and can be seen from the Skykomish Valley; and Lower Wallace Falls, which drops 212 ft in five tiers.

Activities and amenities

The park has 12 mi of hiking trails and 5 mi of biking trails as well as a campground and cabins.