Wallace Falls Washington State Park

Well it s that time again, hiking season!! So we started ours off with bang and went to Wallace Falls State Park on Highway 2. I had read in "Best Short Hikes in Washington's North Cascades & San Juan Islands" by E.M. Sterling that it was a little over 2 miles to get to a view point of the falls and the map at the bottom of the hike stated close to the same distance so we set off trekking up the hill. We decided to take the longer but gradual uphill climb of the railway grade trail and it was exactly as advertised, it wasn't overly difficult with plenty of places to take breaks but when we came to the end of this part of the trail (marked as 2 miles) a surprise was waiting for us as a sign proclaimed that it we had an additional 1.5 miles to get to the falls. We were unable to continue further for multiple reasons and was greatly disappointed to have hiked that far and not see the falls. On the way down the hill I turned on my phone's app, Map My Dog Walk, which I have used multiple times to keep track of the distance we walk and according to this app the walk to the end of the railway grade trail was actually three miles long, not two. So all in all, the hike itself was beautiful (and I am sure it would have been stunning if we had seen the falls) but the maps were confusing and seemed off when listing distances. Plan on at least 2 miles in one direction to see the falls(if you take the Woodland trail instead of the Railway grade trail) but it could be up to 3-6 miles total so just plan accordingly. The hike itself was beautiful, as it winds its way through the forest you will get to see a lot of beautiful plant life and small creeks and streams(which are nice if you have a puppy who needs a drink). Here are a few pictures of the plant life and the view at the beginning of the hike itself.