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Lower Wallace Falls, the first major waterfall encountered en route to Wallace Falls is greatly overlooked, both because it's almost entirely hidden from view and Wallace Falls, just upstream, is much larger. The Wallace River runs downstream from Wallace Falls for about 1/4 mile, then cascades down a series of ledges and steps in front of the Picnic shelter at the 1.5 mile mark along the Woody trail. Below these 38 foot cascades the river plunges 26 feet into a large basin, the immediate outlet of which is a 37 foot fall which can only be looked down on from the side. Below the third drop the gorge narrows and becomes deeper. The final two drops come in quick succession in the form of a 45 foot free-fall, followed immediately by a 66 foot tall sliding flume style drop. Viewing the final two sections of the falls requires dangerous scrambling and precarious cliff-edge vistas and we don't recommend they be sought out.
- Lower Wallace Falls is the Official name of this waterfall.
Drive from Monroe along U.S. 2 to Gold Bar, and turn North at the sign for Wallace Falls State Park. Follow the brown State Park signs to the parking and trailhead in about 4 miles. The first 1/3 mile of the hike is very boring, following high-tension lines in a clear cut. Just as the trail enters the woods, the trails split - the left fork following an old railroad grade and the right fork, the Woody Trail, traverses the woods. They join together just above the crossing of the North Fork Wallace River, about 1 1/2 miles from the trailhead via the Woody Trail, and 2 3/4 miles via the RR grade. About 1/4 mile beyond is the Picnic shelter at the Lower Falls viewpoint.
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