Updated 2/10/2023
“Panther Creek Falls sounds fabulous…but the trail is less than a mile.” I tore my eyes away from the image of the waterfall, its innumerable slender cascades shimmering over a moss-draped cliff.
“How far is it from Portland?” Bryan asked.
“About an hour and a half.”
The idea of driving an hour and a half for a half-hour hike kept us away from Panther Creek Falls for a couple years. But then we decided to go anyway.
If you’re likewise on the fence, stay tuned. In today’s post, I’ll share why Panther Creek Falls is absolutely worth a visit despite the drive, and everything you need to know to experience this special place yourself.
The Key: Panther Creek Falls is close to another of the top Gifford Pinchot National Forest waterfalls, Falls Creek Falls. If you’d like to fit in more hiking, just do both waterfall hikes on the same day.
Still too much driving? Check out the falls virtually in our video below.
Our video of Panther Creek Falls
Panther Creek Falls Highlights
I was surprised to find Panther Creek Falls easily more spectacular than wildly popular Washington waterfalls like Snoqualmie Falls, yet devoid of the parking lots, lodges, and crowds.
The waterfall is tucked into the heart of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington State. It’s a world where the lush evergreen forest shines. Cedar trees, hemlocks, and fir trees overhang the clear waters of Panther Creek with their dark green needles. Moss-covered islands and boulders add their golden greens to the forest stream. Maidenhair ferns cover the cliff sides, drinking in the waterfall spray and waving slightly in the perpetual breeze created by the force of falling water. If there were a Fifty Shades of Green, it would take place here.
The waterfall itself isn’t striking for being tall or powerful, but for being complicated. Rather than plunge down a vertical drop in a single torrent, Panther Creek Falls covers an entire cliff face. The cliff slopes, allowing the water to spread out across its surface, finding all the little grooves and channels in the old stone, tumbling in a maze of cascades to the creek below. Plump moss cushions bloom from all the in-between spaces. It’s a mesmerizing spectacle of golds, greens, and the white of the frothing water.
Panther Creek Falls
Panther Creek Falls Trailhead and Parking
I think Panther Creek Falls owes its relative tranquility to being located off a Forest Service road rather than an Interstate. The trailhead parking area has no restrooms, signage, or fee/parking pass requirements. It’s just a gravel lot on the side of the road, very unassuming for such a beautiful place.
Because of the lack of signage, you have to already know where the trail is, or do some poking around. The easiest way to expedite success at finding the trail is to download the trail map before you go so you can follow your GPS marker to it.
In a nutshell, after parking at the Panther Creek Falls trailhead parking lot, walk back up the road a few dozen meters (back the way you drove in). The trail will be on your right. A white arrow is painted on the road to indicate the trail entrance.
Panther Creek Falls Trail Overview
The Panther Creek Falls trail travels downhill toward the falls through a forest of mixed Douglas firs, cedars, and hemlock trees. Shortly after the trail entrance, you’ll reach a trail junction. I’d recommend taking both forks in turn, as each leads to a different view of Panther Creek Falls. If you hike only to the first viewpoint, the whole hike is about 0.3 miles roundtrip. If you hike to both viewpoints, it’s closer to 0.7 miles.
The route shown on the AllTrails map goes only to the upper waterfall viewpoint (the right-hand fork at the trail junction). Make sure to look to your right as you approach the upper waterfall-viewing platform. Panther Creek itself is a beautiful sight in its own right, cascading around moss-covered islands.
A memorial at the upper viewpoint honors someone who died at the falls. Take care to stay on the trail and be aware of steep drop-offs.
After the upper Panther Creek Falls viewpoint, I’d recommend retracing your steps to the trail junction and following the left fork of the trail to a waterfall viewpoint at the foot of the falls. This viewpoint provides an even more unobstructed view of this unique waterfall.
While the Panther Creek Falls hike is quite short, the trail down to the lower waterfall viewpoint is fairly steep. On the way back up, you’ll likely notice the climb!
How Long Does the Panther Creek Falls Hike Take?
The Panther Creek Falls trail is less than a mile, but we spent about 40 minutes there since there’s so much to see. I would anticipate 25 minutes to an hour, depending on your group’s fitness level and interest in stopping to appreciate the waterfall views.
Other Top Gifford Pinchot National Forest Waterfalls
A couple of other stunning waterfall hikes in Gifford Pinchot National Forest are Falls Creek Falls and Lewis River Falls. Both hikes are substantially longer than the Panther Creek Falls trail, and the waterfalls are equally fabulous.
The Falls Creek Falls trail is about 30 minutes’ drive from Panther Creek Falls, so I’d recommend hiking it right after Panther Creek Falls if your group is in the mood for a longer day hiking among the forests and waterfalls of Gifford Pinchot.
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for joining us on the Panther Creek Falls trail! For more adventure ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.
Happy exploring!
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