Buck Creek Falls Loop Hike

Overview

Buck Creek is a major tributary of the White Salmon River and flows almost wholly within a tract that has been managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources since the 1920s. Buck Creek also supplies the City of White Salmon with its drinking water and the loop trail described here uses part of the water pipeline route. This loop hike is best done in spring, when a variety of wildflowers bloom in the conifer and oak savanna habitats that the trail encompasses. Buck Creek Falls itself is a minor cataract on the creek. The loop trail also accesses much longer Buck Creek Loop, which takes to the ridges around the drainage. To begin the Buck Creek Falls Loop, hike up under secondary-growth Douglas-firs, grand fir, bigleaf maple, vine maple and hazel. At a junction, go right. The trail left leads one mile to a lower trailhead. You're following the corridor of the water pipeline that serves the City of White Salmon. Poison oak abounds in the area. The track undulates up and down and is wet and muddy where several springs seep on to it. Cross a steam and enter a sunny opening blooming with cluster lilies and stonecrop in the spring. The trail rises, drops, and then splits in a marshy area. Buck Creek flows under alders to the right. Pass a mossy seep and cross a maidenhair fern decorated brook. The trail ascends again, passing some larger Douglas-firs. Drop again, but now you're on a regular footpath. Water flows freely down the tread. A spur right leads to the top of Buck Creek Falls, which spills into a lovely shaded pool in a basalt-rimmed bowl. Montia, alumroot and saxifrage adorn the rocks. Back on the trail, head over a small rockslide. The now-graveled trail switchbacks down to the right (Keeping straight leads to a dead end) and crosses a footbridge over deeply shaded Buck Creek in its little gorge. Reach the Buck Creek Falls Trailhead, which has its own restrooms. Walk right to the lower entrance of the parking lot and then onto Road B1000. Hike about 150 yards down the road and look for the tra

Trail Stats

Photos

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