Madison Falls: A Short Waterfall Walk by the Elwha River

/ Hiking, National Parks / By
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Our first stop inside Olympic National Park on July 27, 2026, gave us two reasons to slow down. Before we even started our Madison Falls hike, we stopped to take in the Elwha River, with low clouds drifting over the mountains.

We had planned to go to Hurricane Ridge first, but a park staff member showed us the clouded-in webcam and suggested starting with the waterfalls. I’m glad we did. Madison Falls was an easy walk for our group, and it gave us time to notice the things we might have hurried past: moss draped over massive trees, roots exposed along the hillside, and a waterfall spilling down a mossy rock face.

The Elwha River flows past a gravel bar beneath forested mountains partly hidden by low clouds.
We paused to take in the Elwha River before starting the short walk to Madison Falls.

Taking Our Time at Madison Falls

It took us about 20 minutes to drive from the Olympic National Park Visitor Center to the Madison Falls trailhead. There were quite a few cars in the lot, but we found a spot, and the trail itself didn’t feel crowded.

Once we left the river and started toward the falls, I kept looking up at the massive trees. We stopped to photograph branches draped in moss and noticed exposed roots along the hillside. At the end of the path, the falls spilled down a mossy rock face into a pool.

Madison Creek Falls spills down a mossy rock face on the left, beside a photo of a large tree with moss-covered branches.
The mossy trees along the path gave us a reason to slow down before we reached Madison Falls.

We only had part of a day in Olympic, and this short walk fit our schedule. We could linger at the falls and still have time for a longer walk at Lake Crescent, our next stop.

Madison Falls Hike Overview

  • Trailhead: Madison Falls parking area on Olympic Hot Springs Road, beside the Elwha River.
  • Distance: About 0.2 miles round trip on the same path.
  • Trail surface: A paved path with a gentle uphill slope to the 60-foot waterfall. The parking lot is gravel.
  • Rest stops: A bench sits near the falls, and an accessible vault toilet is at the trailhead.

You can enjoy views of the Elwha River from the parking area before deciding whether to walk to the falls. The National Park Service currently lists the lot as open with limited parking and turnaround space. Olympic Hot Springs Road is closed to vehicles beyond the lot because of a washout. Before heading out, check the park’s current road conditions and Madison Falls visitor information.

I’m glad we paused at the Elwha River before heading to the falls. We had only part of a day in Olympic, and this short walk gave us time to enjoy the river, the forest, and the waterfall at our own pace.

From Madison Falls, we drove to Lake Crescent for our longer walk to Marymere Falls. For the full route and how we worked around the clouds at Hurricane Ridge, see our Olympic National Park Guide.

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