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. From there, Cherry Creek then 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
Driving Music: Urban
Marckworth State Forest
After a quick visit to the north end, I explored more of the state forest. 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 valley.
The trailhead outside the forest soon entered the boundary past the private homes. Then I headed downhill to Creekside Trail beside Cherry Creek. A man and his goofy Great Dane en route were the only ones around on a walk.
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Through Cherry Creek Valley
The route offered river valley views with vibrant but boggy green. It drizzled en route and would soon turn into heavy rain by the falls. Meanwhile, the side trails gave options to join the upper network above the hillside.
At mile two was a faded yellow car wedging between tree trunks by the trail. It seemed to have been around long as I pondered the backstory. Cherry Creek Falls was only under a mile over numerous muddy puddles.
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Cherry Creek Falls and Back
I crossed Hannan Creek over the protruding rocks. The loud burble on the other side soon lured me onto a spur path between the bushes. Then came the two magnificent streams deluging 25 feet into the shallow jade pool below.
After savoring the view in the rain, I looped back from the top of the falls. Then I took the steep Outer Limits to the road and crossed several ravines to head south. Soon, I met two folks with one dog by the state forest boundary and exited.
See more trip photos here.