Cherry Creek Falls in Marckworth State Forest flows between King Benchmark and Moss Lake Natural Area. The water gushes over a rock ledge into a plunge pool below. Meanwhile, Cherry Creek continues west into the Snoqualmie River.
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Cherry Creek Falls at a Glance
Access: Cherry Valley Road (trail map)
Round Trip: 7.8 miles
Elevation Range: 260′-760′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Urban
Hiking in Marckworth State Forest
After a quick visit to the north end of the state forest, I returned to explore more of it. This time, I began from the southwest and looped around the open space that harbored 32 mixed-use trails. I also added a scenic stop at the famous falls atop the creek valley.
The trail outside the forest soon entered the boundary past the private homes. I headed downhill and soon picked up Creekside Trail beside Cherry Creek. A man and his goofy Great Dane en route were the only ones around on a walk on this rainy day.
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Exploring Misty Cherry Creek Valley
The route offered spotty valley views with vibrant but boggy green. Meanwhile, it drizzled en route and would turn into heavy rain at the falls. Meanwhile, several side paths joined the trail network above the hillside.
At mile two was a faded yellow car wedging between tree trunks. It seemed to have been around long as I quietly pondered its backstory. “Who are you, Dierdra?” Cherry Creek Falls was only under a mile over many muddy puddles.
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Cherry Creek Falls and Back
I crossed Hannan Creek using the protruding rocks. The loud burble on the other side soon lured me onto a spur path amid the bushes. Then came the two magnificent streams deluging 25 feet into the shallow jade pool below.
After savoring the rainy views, I looped back from above the falls. The steep Outer Limits soon brought me onto the road before crossing several ravines to go south. Soon, I passed two folks with their dog by the forest boundary as I exited.
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