Marymere Falls: A Waterfall Hike in Olympic National Park

The trail to Marymere Falls gives hikers a chance to experience some of the landscape Olympic National Park is famous for – stunning forests and waterfalls. The trail sits on the northern side of the Olympic Peninsula and is fairly short and flat, making it great for a variety of skill levels. The scenery is like something out of a fairytale with moss-draped trees, wooden bridges over the flowing river, and the beautiful waterfall among the dense forest.

Getting to the Marymere Falls Trail

The trail to Marymere Falls begins from the Storm King Ranger Station on the shores of Crescent Lake. Turn off Olympic Highway (the 101) onto Lake Crescent Road and park near the ranger station. Follow the path by the ranger station and cross under the road via the little tunnel. When you exit the tunnel, you’ll find yourself among the trees on the path to Marymere Falls.

Walk under the road to get to the trail to Marymere Falls

Fees

A pass is required to visit Marymere Falls. It is best to purchase your pass online beforehand. An Olympic National Park day pass is $30 for a private vehicle and is good for seven days. An annual pass for this park is $55.

Alternatively, you can purchase an America the Beautiful annual national parks pass for $80. Ours had just expired, so we picked ours up along with a bear canister at the REI in Olympia before our excursion into the park.

The Marymere Falls Trail

Hike Overview

Hike Type: Easy out-and-back trail – there are few stairs involved

Distance: 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers) roundtrip

Duration: 45 minutes – 1.5 hours

Regulations: Pets and drones are not permitted. A pass is required to visit

The Hike

We began our adventure around sunrise, hiking to the Mount Storm King overlook before heading towards Marymere Falls. If you’re looking for a hike that is a bit more challenging with stunning views, we definitely recommend combining the two.

After descending from Mount Storm King, the trail flattened out as we headed left towards Marymere Falls. The sun was higher in the sky now and the bright light pierced through the dense trees, creating golden beams all around us. The old growth trees draped in moss made for a truly beautiful walk.

One of the bridges leading to Marymere Falls

Soon, we came to the river and crossed the two bridges below the falls. From here, the trail began to climb to reach the waterfall. This section of the trail is a little loop. It was still fairly early on a cool spring morning, so we had the area mostly to ourselves. There were some stairs and railed dirt pathways leading to a couple spots overlooking Marymere Falls. The water flow isn’t as grand as Sol Duc or some other falls on the Olympic Peninsula, but the thin ribbon of water plunging about 90 feet through the ravine is a beautiful scene.

After enjoying some of the morning at the falls, we headed back the way we came to end our hike at the Storm King Ranger Station.

What to Bring to Hike to Marymere Falls

Water: An essential for any hike

Pass: Bring your park pass and display it in your vehicle

Sun Protection: Though most of this trail is very shaded, we always recommend bringing a form of sun protection, such as a hat, sunscreen, and/or sunglasses

Comfortable Shoes: This trail is fairly flat and well-maintained – be aware that rain can make some sections muddy and slick

Layers: Even in the summer, mornings and evenings among the mossy trees can be chilly, so bring layers. A rain jacket is a good idea since this area of Washington gets a significant amount of rain. In the winter, heavier coats, gloves, and jackets may be necessary.

Camera: The scenery here is beautiful, so you’ll definitely want to snap some photos!