Wallace Lake & Small Falls via Wallace Falls Mainline is a 15.1-mile out-and-back in Wallace Falls State Park near Startup, WA. The route passes Wallace Lake before reaching Small Falls at the turnaround, 7.6 miles in. It climbs 3,652 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade. It scores 74/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi322 – 1,864 ft · steepest grade: 19%15.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Shaw Lake Trailhead 47.92677, -121.71675
Nearest town Startup, WA
Directions
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Wallace Lake & Small Falls via Wallace Falls Mainline
15.1 mi · ▲ 3,652 ft · 6 hr 52 min
Elevation 322–1,863 ft
Out & Back · Wallace Falls State Park
Trailhead: Shaw Lake Trailhead · 47.92677, -121.71675
Weather Aug 4: Overcast, high 71°F / low 49° · precip 0% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 5:47 AM · sunset 8:41 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 2.4 miSharp left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 1.6 miPass Wallace Lake.
- 150 ftBear right onto Greg Ball Trail, heading N.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Wallace Falls Mainline, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Railroad Grade, heading SE.
- 1.8 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Railroad Grade Cutoff, heading SW.
- 400 ftTurn right onto Woody Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miPass Small Falls.
- 250 ftReach Wallace Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Railroad Grade Cutoff, heading NW.
- 400 ftTurn right onto Railroad Grade, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading E.
- 1.8 miTurn right onto Wallace Falls Mainline, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Greg Ball Trail, heading NE.
- 0.8 miBear left, heading NW.
- 1.7 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading NW.
- 2.3 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
52% dirt6% gravel42% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 71°F49°
Precip0%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity65%
Rained 0.1″ 2 days ago
Hourly temperature
75°45°
Sunrise 5:47 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:41 PM
Tue
78°61°
Wed
85°64°
Thu
87°60°
Fri
81°56°
Sat
79°54°
Sun
77°52°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.3 mi in (~49 min). Leave by 7:32 PM for the 8:41 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:28 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Shaw Lake Trailhead Trailhead
- Shaw Lake 6.4 mi · ▲ 1,405 ft
- Greg Ball Viewpoint & Wallace Lake via Greg Ball Trail 8.7 mi · ▲ 2,145 ft
- Upper Olney Falls & Upper Olney Falls View via Upper Olney Falls Trail 9.2 mi · ▲ 1,686 ft
- Jay Lake & Wallace Lake via Greg Ball Trail 10.4 mi · ▲ 2,201 ft
- Middle Wallace Falls–Upper Wallace Falls Viewpoint, 4 viewpoints 14.8 mi · ▲ 3,021 ft
- Lower Wallace Falls–Middle Wallace Falls, 6 viewpoints 15.3 mi · ▲ 4,077 ft
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