FINALLY a nice sunny Saturday in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve literally been dreaming about this day. This Spring it seemed like it was going to rain forever. It rained for seemingly days on end only to tease us with a rare partially sunny day. At last, nearly a week before July and we have unimpeded blue skies and sunshine. And it looks like it’s going to stay that way for the next few days. Time to get outside! Tonya and I decided to head out to Lava Canyon to enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful cascading waterfalls. She had never been here so I was excited to share this hike with her.
Lava Canyon use to be a lush green forest. But when Mount St. Helens errupted, a 15-foot wave of water, ash and rock came rushing down the valley taking the trees and everything else with it and scouring the underlying rock free of dirt and vegetation. Leaving behind beautiful white-water waterfalls that cascade over basalt rocks worn smooth from the water.
Directions
From Vancouver, Washington head north on I-5
Take exit 21, Woodland exit, State Route 503 and head east
Drive through Cougar, WA
Turn left on Forest Road 83
Continue for 12 miles to the Lava Canyon Trailhead parking lot