Siouxon Creek trail is one of the most beautiful places to hike near Vancouver, Washington. Located in a deep valley, it rarely gets hot even during summer heat waves. April, Tatsuro, Monica and I spent a perfect afternoon hiking there last weekend.
Monica, Tatsuro and myself.
Hiking Siouxon Creek leads you past flumes, towering moss-covered firs and maples, clear green pools and ends with a 45-foot waterfall. It’s about 4.3 miles to the waterfall, making for a full 8+ mile day. The trail continues past the waterfall. And you can connect with a trail leading to Huffman Peak, which would make for 14 miles total.
There are perhaps ten backpacking campsites along this stretch. And on our hike it seemed most filled up. It would be a Lord of the Rings type experience, I think. I could imagine Orcs coming in the night – perhaps fighting with Cave Trolls. We had expected the area to be muddy because it had rained the day before. But we found only a few spots with mud. Completely delightful. The trail comes almost down to creek level, then climbs sometimes 40 feet above, whilst crossing tributaries. There are lots of small waterfalls and pools to glimpse.
It might be tempting to jump in that water, but it was May. The temperature is probably 40 degrees! I have seen people swimming in the middle of summer here, though.
Siouxon Creek is also popular for mountain biking. I originally discovered this trail through a mountain biking guidebook. On our hike this time we only saw two bikers.
Although fast-hiking or fast-packing is trendy these days, I find sometimes going extra slow, or even pausing, yields beautiful rewards.
This area is packed with life. But if you are rushing along, you’ll miss the wonder. There are countless species of plants. Every inch is occupied by a form of life competing for food and sunlight.
Moss clinging to a maple.
There were countless “nurse logs.” A nurse log is a fallen tree that has decomposed to the point that it becomes nutrients for new trees. We saw a toppled old-growth tree, with over 100 feet of new trees growing along it.
Super clear water!
The water is impossibly pure and clear. The rocks are gray, brown, rose, green, and speckled colors. In some places the water is so clear you cannot even see it.
April
Our turnaround point on the hike was the 45-ft waterfall. Also a nice spot to stop for lunch. We lingered quite a while to soak up the tranquility. Then it was another refreshing hike back to the trailhead.
Cabin Fever Chronicles - Getting Outdoors with Rod 