Tumwater Falls Hike
Waterfall · about 82 ft high | Washington
0.5 mi loop
30 ft
Easy
Tumwater Falls Hike at a Glance
The Tumwater Falls hike via the Tumwater Falls Park loop trail is 0.5 mi loop with 30 ft of elevation gain.
| Falls height | About 82 ft |
|---|---|
| Elevation at the falls | ≈ 90 ft |
| Trail | Tumwater Falls Park loop trail |
| Distance | 0.5 mi loop |
| Elevation gain | 30 ft |
| Difficulty | Easy |
Your time: about 10 min of moving time at Naismith pace (3 mph plus 1 hour per 2,000 ft climbed); about 15 min at a relaxed pace. A 160 lb hiker with a daypack burns roughly 100 kcal.
Adjust for your pace and breaks →Route line not shown. The 0.5 mi distance and 30 ft of gain for this hike are verified (wta.org), but we don't yet have a trail track we trust, so the map shows only the destination. Carry an official map.
About Tumwater Falls
Tumwater Falls is a waterfall in Washington, about 82 feet high, on land managed by Olympia Tumwater Foundation. Its height is from olytumfoundation.org.
The Hike
The hike to the falls follows the Tumwater Falls Park loop trail: 0.5 miles as a loop with about 30 feet of elevation gain, from Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. Distance from wta.org. By the National Park Service difficulty formula (distance against climb) that puts it at Easy.
Before You Go
- The park is free to the public. (olytumfoundation.org)
- Dogs are welcome at the park on leash. (olytumfoundation.org)
- The park is ADA accessible everywhere except the pedestrian walking path. (olytumfoundation.org)
- The section of the Deschutes River running through the park is closed to all fishing. (olytumfoundation.org)
- Rock around waterfalls is slick when wet; stay on the trail and back from the edge.
- Check Olympia Tumwater Foundation for current conditions, closures and parking before you go.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the hike to Tumwater Falls?
The Tumwater Falls Park loop trail to Tumwater Falls is 0.5 miles as a loop with about 30 feet of elevation gain.
Where does the Tumwater Falls hike start?
It starts from Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls.
How tall is Tumwater Falls?
Tumwater Falls is about 82 feet high.
Is there a fee to hike to Tumwater Falls?
The park is free to the public.
Are dogs allowed on the Tumwater Falls trail?
Dogs are welcome at the park on leash.
Safety Information
Current Hazards
- Slippery wet rock near the falls
- Fast, high water after rain or snowmelt
- Check weather before departure
Turn-Around Time
3:00 PM
Plan to reach the falls by this time so you are back before dark.
Essential Gear Checklist
* Critical items - do not hike without these
Emergency Contacts
Emergency / Search & Rescue
911Point Forecast
NWS Point Forecast →In most of the US, backcountry search and rescue is dispatched through 911 — tell the operator you have a hiker emergency and your GPS coordinates.
Downloads
Sources for The Tumwater Falls Guide
Where the trail data, elevation and route line on this page come from.
- Verified against
- wta.org
- Distance
- wta.org
- Falls height
- olytumfoundation.org
- Falls location
- en.wikipedia.org
- Elevation
- ≈ Copernicus GLO-90 elevation model at the falls coordinates (via Open-Meteo)
Conditions change. Check the land manager for closures, fees and weather before you go.