Overview

Hype:

If you can tear your eyes away from the view of Mount Rainier at Paradise, there is another nearby attraction: 72-foot-high Myrtle Falls. With Mount Rainier in the background, it’s where everyone with a camera stops for a photo. This picturesque setting is known as one of the most photographed areas of the park – and as a bonus, it’s an easy walk to the falls. Here the waterfall drops down a deep gorge carved out by Edith Creek on its wild journey to the Paradise Valley. Though the falls flow year-round, they are not accessible when trails are snowbound during winter.

Trail Condition: Class 1 (Trail is either paved or gravel. Navigation skills are not needed because there is only one trail or because there are signs. Elevation gains are gradual or there are stairs.)

Time: 30 minutes

Length: 1 mile round trip

Elevation Gain: 200 ft

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Getting There

Navigate to 46.786505, -121.736500.

Park at the visitor center parking lot.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Mount Rainier National Park

Coordinates: 46.791156, -121.732084

Interactive Guide Map

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July 12, 2023 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Tara Dye, Anthony Dye, Arianne Dye, Miller Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Jaren Wagner, Killian Wagner, Calliope Wagner,

Logistics

Start: 1:00

Myrtle Falls: 1:20

Edith Gorge Falls: 1:50

Story

My parents, Leslie, Cooper, and I drove down to a lower trailhead while Tara, Anthony family, and Ondy family hiked from the visitor center to the lower trailhead. Well, there were a couple problems with our plan. The first problem is that there wasn't actually a trail connecting the upper waterfall to the lower pullout. The second problem was that the upper waterfall lookout was closed. So all of the hikers got up to the top looked at the river above the waterfall and then head to hike back to the visitor center and down the road to the pull out. Luckily it wasn't a long trail so we were able to rejoin without too much headache.

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Pictures