LET’S GO CHASING WATERFALLS. When Craig Romano agreed to share with us a few of his favorite waterfalls in the Pacific Coastal region of Washington, we were frankly thrilled. If you’re looking for up-to-date details on local hikes and wilderness destinations – and the fun facts – Craig is renown as the guy to call. Craig has written more than 20 hiking guidebooks including Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula 2nd Edition which includes details for popular and little known hikes across the Peninsula. An avid hiker, runner, paddler, and cyclist, Craig is currently working on Urban Trails Vancouver USA (2020); Backpacking Washington 2nd Edition (2021); and Day Hiking Central Cascades 2nd Edition (2022). He is also a featured columnist for Tracing the Fjord.
Why we are so keen about Olympic Peninsula's falls? As storms from the Pacific Ocean move across the peninsula, they crash into the Olympics and are forced to release moisture in the impact. Consequentially, the clouds release massive amounts of rain (up to 170" annually) on the coastal side of the range and very little on the inland region. This is commonly known as the “rain shadow effect" and is why the Sequim area has very little annual precipitation. The massive coastal rainfall gives life blood to the hanging mosses of the perpetually soaked rainforests – Hoh and Quinault. On top the Olympic Mountains this moisture lands as snow – frosting the peaks with as much as 35 feet each year.
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Each spring the snow melts and creates icy run-off. Mix in a little more rainfall and the result is a fun to explore waterfall ring enveloping the base of Olympic range. There are literally thousands of waterfalls in the area to choose from, but in the next few pages we have selected just a few to get you started. Some are small, secret, and unique making them a great choice for social distancing, others are popular but magnificent. All are within an easy drive from the fjord and worth the journey! Want to plan your next adventure chasing waterfalls? Check out the full descriptions, images, and maps at waterfalltrail.org or pick up at a waterfall guide at a local Visitor Information Center. This project is made possible by Mason County Lodging Tax and is hosted by Mason County Tourism.
