Two Olympic National Park waterfalls in a single half-day from Port Angeles
A tight 2-stop pair off US-101 west of Port Angeles. Marymere's 1.7-mile loop near Lake Crescent plus the fully ADA-accessible Madison Creek, roughly 30 minutes apart.
This is a deliberately small route: two waterfalls inside Olympic National Park, both off US-101 within 30 minutes of Port Angeles, doable in a half day. Marymere Falls is a 90-foot horsetail-into-plunge on Falls Creek, reached by a 1.7-mile lollipop loop that leaves from the Storm King Ranger Station on the south shore of Lake Crescent. Madison Creek Falls is a 76-foot multi-tier on Madison Creek, reached by a 200-foot fully ADA-accessible paved path off the Heart O' the Hills road, the same road that climbs to Hurricane Ridge.
The pair works as a curated unit for three reasons. First, both falls drop over Crescent Formation basalts and Olympic Subduction Complex sediments, the bedrock that built the northern Olympic Range, so visitors get a quick geological cross-section without driving the full peninsula. Second, the two trails sit at opposite ends of the access spectrum (a real 1.7-mile forest loop with stairs and a 200-foot paved spur), which makes the route work for mixed-mobility groups. Third, both sites are inside Olympic National Park boundaries, so the same vehicle pass covers everything.
This route does not pretend to be a full Olympic National Park itinerary. Olympic has the Hoh Rainforest, Sol Duc, Hurricane Ridge, Ruby Beach, and the Quinault temperate rainforest, and a real Olympic trip should touch several of those zones. What this route does is bundle the two most-visited waterfalls on the park's north side into a half-day block that pairs cleanly with Lake Crescent (Marymere's trailhead is on its south shore), with the Hurricane Ridge drive (Madison Creek sits at the foot of that road), or with a longer multi-day Olympic loop. Treat it as the waterfall component of a bigger trip, not the trip itself.
Start at the Storm King Ranger Station on the south shore of Lake Crescent, 21 miles west of Port Angeles on US-101. The 1.7-mile lollipop loop drops under the highway in two pedestrian tunnels, climbs gently through old-growth Douglas fir, and ends at a stair-step viewpoint of the 90-foot horsetail-into-plunge on Falls Creek. Plan for 60 to 75 minutes of walking plus time at the upper and lower viewing platforms. Morning light reaches the plunge pool; by 2 p.m. the falls drop into shadow. Parking fills by 10 a.m. in July and August.
From Storm King, drive 21 miles east on US-101 back through Port Angeles, then south on Race Street, which becomes the Heart O' the Hills road toward Hurricane Ridge. The Madison Creek Falls pullout sits on the right roughly 2 miles up. A 200-foot fully ADA-accessible paved path leads to a single viewing area facing the 76-foot multi-tier cascade. This is the recovery stop after Marymere. Pair it with a Hurricane Ridge afternoon if the weather is clear, since the road climbs another 17 miles from this trailhead to the visitor center.
Why this route, in this order.
Marymere first, Madison Creek second, every time. The logic is simple and it is about energy management and trail conditions, not just geography.
Marymere demands the longer, harder walk. The 1.7-mile loop includes two highway underpasses (US-101 cuts between the trailhead and the falls), a gentle forest grade through old-growth Douglas fir and western hemlock, and a final stair-step climb to the upper and lower viewpoints. Doing that hike on fresh legs in the morning, ideally before the Lake Crescent parking lots fill, lets visitors hit the trail before the midday tour buses arrive at the Storm King Ranger Station. Marymere also faces northeast, so morning light reaches the plunge pool while the afternoon shifts it into shadow.
Madison Creek earns the second slot because the 200-foot paved path takes 10 to 15 minutes round trip with no real elevation. It is the right stop for tired legs after the Marymere loop, and it sits on the way back toward Port Angeles via the Heart O' the Hills road, so it adds minimal backtracking. Visitors who want to extend the day can continue up that same road to Hurricane Ridge for the afternoon, since the Madison Creek pullout is the natural appetizer for that climb.
The reverse order works but wastes the morning light at Marymere and dumps visitors into the Lake Crescent crowd at the worst hour. Run the harder trail first.
Food, fuel, and lodging.
Park pass. Both stops sit inside Olympic National Park. A $30 per-vehicle, seven-day entrance pass (or an America the Beautiful annual pass) is required. Olympic does not have a single entrance gate; rangers spot-check at the Heart O' the Hills entrance station on the Hurricane Ridge road and at the Sol Duc and Hoh entrance stations. Marymere's Storm King trailhead does not have a staffed gate, but rangers patrol the lot.
Food, coffee, gas. Port Angeles is the only real services town on this stretch. Stock the car there before driving west. The town has a full grocery (Safeway on East First Street), a Costco, multiple coffee roasters, and the last reliable cell service before Lake Crescent. There is no gas between Port Angeles and Forks (56 miles west).
Lodging.
Port Angeles for the broadest range of hotels and short-term rentals.
Lake Crescent Lodge (south shore, May through January) sits a half-mile from the Storm King trailhead and is the dream anchor if reservations open.
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, 30 miles west, works as a second-night base for a longer Olympic trip.
Heart O' the Hills Campground (NPS, first-come) sits between Madison Creek and Hurricane Ridge.
What to bring. Rain shell year-round (this is a temperate rainforest), traction footwear for the Marymere stairs (wet moss-slick wood), and a layer for Hurricane Ridge if extending the day. Cell service drops at Lake Crescent; download offline maps in Port Angeles.
Best season for this route.
Peak flow: November through May, with the loudest output typically February and March after a wet winter has saturated the Olympic forest. Both falls run year-round because the Olympic interior receives 140 to 200 inches of precipitation annually, but Marymere's Falls Creek thins to a delicate ribbon by late August.
Best overall window: Late May through mid-October. The Hurricane Ridge road, which extends from Madison Creek's pullout, is plowed daily from late May through early October and operates on a winter weekend schedule from December into March (call ahead, as the NPS has restricted winter access in recent years).
Foliage: This is a Pacific Northwest evergreen forest, so fall color is muted. Vine maple and big-leaf maple add yellow accents along the Marymere trail in mid-October, but visitors looking for a true foliage trip should look east of the Cascades.
Crowding: July and August Saturdays fill the Storm King lot by 9:30 a.m. Visit weekday mornings or shoulder-season weekends (May, late September, October) for empty trails. Madison Creek almost never fills.
Questions about this route.
Can I do this route in one day?
Yes, easily. Both stops together take three to four hours of moving time including the 30-minute drive between them. Most visitors do the pair as a half-day morning, then continue to Hurricane Ridge in the afternoon or to Lake Crescent's south shore for a swim and a Lake Crescent Lodge lunch. The pair is built as a half-day route, not a full day on its own.
Do I need a permit for either waterfall?
No timed-entry or trail permit is required at either stop. A standard Olympic National Park entrance pass ($30 per vehicle, seven days, or an America the Beautiful annual pass) covers both. Olympic does not run a Multnomah-style timed-entry system.
Is Madison Creek Falls really wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The path from the pullout to the viewing area is a 200-foot paved trail with no stairs and a grade gentle enough for standard wheelchairs and strollers. It is the most accessible major waterfall in Olympic National Park. Marymere, by contrast, has stairs at the upper viewpoint and is not wheelchair accessible.
Are dogs allowed on the trails?
No. Olympic National Park prohibits dogs on nearly all trails inside the park, including both the Marymere Falls loop and the Madison Creek paved path. Dogs are allowed in parking lots, on roads, and at the Kalaloch and Rialto Beach areas, but not on these two specific trails. Bring a dog only if a non-hiking driver can stay in the car.
Where should I stay overnight if I extend this into a 2-day trip?
Port Angeles is the most reliable base. It has the largest range of hotels, restaurants, and grocery. Lake Crescent Lodge (May through January) sits a half-mile from the Marymere trailhead and books up six to nine months ahead for summer weekends. For a longer Olympic loop, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort (30 miles west of Lake Crescent) or a vacation rental in Forks gives a second-night base closer to the Hoh Rainforest and the Pacific coast.
Is the road to Madison Creek paved?
Yes. The Heart O' the Hills road from Race Street in Port Angeles to the Madison Creek Falls pullout is fully paved two-lane blacktop. The road continues another 17 miles to Hurricane Ridge, also paved, and is the same road kept plowed for winter Hurricane Ridge access.
What is the best season for waterfall flow?
February and March produce the loudest flow on both falls, fed by Olympic winter rain. June and July are the most pleasant tradeoff between strong flow (still running on lingering snowmelt and spring rain) and dry, warm hiking weather. By late August, Falls Creek above Marymere thins noticeably. Madison Creek holds flow better through the dry months because its drainage is larger.
Waterfalls Guide
