Wahclella Falls Trail is a beautiful short hike to a Gorge waterfall. 

For an adult, this is a relatively easy 2.4-mile out-and-back hike that follows a creek up to a waterfall. This hike does have some elevation gain so it can be considered kid-friendly if you keep an eye on your kid since there are some drop-offs along the way. Because it’s only 1.2 miles out and 1.2 miles back, the distance can be doable for older children. I really enjoyed this hike when the kids were first starting to walk because I was able to carry them most of the way in a backpack carrier but let them out a few places along the trail to waddle along. 

The trail begins at an old road that follows Tanner Creek. After you pass a small dam you’ll continue into a canyon. The first bridge has a fun waterfall on your left, around this point is where the trail begins to have a slight incline. 

In the wintertime, this trail can get icy and muddy so check weather conditions if you plan to head out during that time of the year. It is not recommended to hike this trail after any heavy downpours because the surface was affected by wildfires. Summers have the most traffic so either go super early or try to avoid weekends. 

You’ll come to a T in the trail where you can come back and connect if you’d like to do more of a lollipop loop. At this T, you’ll go right. There is another bridge that you will cross after heading down a few switchbacks. One more bridge is at the end of the trail where you’ll get your first glimpse at the 350-foot two-tiered waterfall. 

To do the hike in the lollipop loop, look for the trail once you pass the waterfall (and take all the photos). This will be heading the opposite direction of the bridge you just crossed. It will connect back to the T. 

There are porta-potties in the parking lot and a NW Forest Pass is required. The parking lot is very limited and you cannot park along the road. Dogs are allowed on leash.