Lake Fontal & Cherry Creek Falls Trail
14.2 mi · ▲ 1,513 ft · 5 hr 29 min
Lake Fontal & Cherry Creek Falls Trail is a 14.2-mile out-and-back in Marckworth State Forest near Lake Marcel, WA. The route reaches Lake Fontal at the turnaround, 7.1 miles in. It climbs 1,513 ft. It scores 78/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Lake Fontal & Cherry Creek Falls Trail
14.2 mi · ▲ 1,513 ft · 5 hr 29 min
Elevation 284–1,186 ft
Out & Back · Marckworth State Forest
Trailhead: 47.74582, -121.90835
Weather Aug 3: Fog, high 74°F / low 50° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 5:48 AM · sunset 8:41 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading E.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Dense, heading NE.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Little Ridge, heading NE.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading N.
- 1.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miSharp right, heading NE.
- 2.3 miTurn right, heading N.
- 1 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 1.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miReach Lake Fontal, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 1.3 miTurn right, heading S.
- 1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 2.3 miSharp left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading E.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Little Ridge, heading W.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Dense, heading SW.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.6 mi in (~194 min). Leave by 5:07 PM for the 8:41 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:44 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Barracuda–Cherry Creek Falls Trail, 3 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 534 ft
- Lake Margaret–Barracuda, 3 sights 3.8 mi · ▲ 698 ft
- Cherry Creek Falls Viewpoint & Cherry Creek Falls Trail 4.2 mi · ▲ 549 ft
- Cherry Creek Falls–Cherry Creek Falls Viewpoint, 3 sights 4.4 mi · ▲ 519 ft
- Barracuda–Burnt Cedar, 3 sights 5.2 mi · ▲ 792 ft
- Platts Lookout–Marckworth State Forest Viewpoint, 3 summits 10.7 mi · ▲ 1,476 ft
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