Curly Creek Falls is a 78-foot tiered plunge waterfall on Curly Creek, a tributary of the Lewis River, in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest of Skamania County, Washington. Two natural rock arches span the face of the drop, reached by a flat, easy walk from a forest road.
The falls
Curly Creek drops in two tiers, the taller of them 49 feet, passing beneath the two arches before reaching the Lewis River. A third arch shows in the creek bed when the water is low. In-person field surveys document the total height at 78 feet; earlier surveys listed 86 feet. Average high flow reaches about 100 cubic feet per second, dropping to nothing in the dry months.
Getting there
The falls are on Trail 31A of the Mount Adams Ranger District, which starts from a signed trailhead on Forest Road 9039. From I-5 exit 21 at Woodland, follow SR 503 east 29 miles to Cougar, continue 18.5 miles on FR 90, then 5.1 miles on FR 90 (Lewis River Road) and turn left on FR 9039 for 1 mile, crossing the Lewis River. From Carson, the route runs up the Wind River Highway 14.3 miles, 13 miles on NF 30, 5 miles on NF 51 (Curly Creek Road) and 1 mile on FR 90 to FR 9039. The walk covers 0.4 mile round trip with no elevation gain, rated easy, and no pass is required.
When to go
May and June provide the fullest flow. Floods in 2003 exposed porous lava-tube bedrock that now swallows the creek, so the falls stop flowing by the end of July in most years; Curly Creek can be dry through late summer and early fall.
On site
The fairly level dirt trail leads to two viewing platforms; fallen branches and fir cones can litter the tread. The gravel parking area has vault toilets, one of them wheelchair accessible, but no drinking water. Dogs are allowed on a leash. For current road and trail conditions, the ranger district can be reached at 509-395-3402.
Nearby
Miller Creek Falls, about 0.2 mile away, is seen from the same trail, plunging into a pool just above the Lewis River; Miller Creek runs all year. Upper Miller Creek Falls is about 1.5 miles away, Rush Creek Falls about 2.8 miles and McClellan Falls about 3 miles.
Distances are straight-line.