Scott Shane's outstanding work Flee North tells the little-known tale of an unlikely partnership ... The main route follows the Comet Falls Trail from the trailhead up past Christine and Bloucher Falls before arriving at Comet Falls. Going Further to Van Trump Park or Mildred Point About halfway to the falls, there’s a small area with a viewpoint and some benches where you can either take a rest or turn around. If you have a bit more time while in Mount Rainier National Park, continue on the trail from Christine Falls to Comet Falls.

Christine Falls (Quirke, book 1) by Benjamin Black Christine Falls (Quirke, book 1) by Benjamin Black

Starting on the Skyline Trail near the Paradise area in the park, you’ll only need to walk about 0.4 miles before you reach the waterfall. The first time we saw one on this particular hike, it was dragging a huge fern across the trail, and Matt didn’t see the pika and was very, very confused. I even witnessed plenty of motorists just pause on the bridge and take photos before moving on (generally when no other cars were behind). Comet Falls is 300 feet tall, and is equally impressive from far away with its winding river and cascading smaller falls in the foreground, as it is up close. It dwarfs the other waterfalls in the area and is well worth the extra effort to get to compared to those other waterfalls, which are largely accessible from the parking lot (or within a quarter mile of it). It turns out the body belonged to a young woman named Christine Falls. And as Quirke reluctantly presses on toward the true facts behind her death, he comes up against some insidious—and very well-guarded—secrets of Dublin’s high Catholic society, among them members of his own family.

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You’ll come to a viewpoint of the 170-foot tall waterfall on the other side of a gorge-like feature. Head out for a 1-mile hike along a flat, easy trail that is marked well and great for families to embark on.

15 Prettiest Waterfalls Near Seattle • Small Town Washington 15 Prettiest Waterfalls Near Seattle • Small Town Washington

Therefore, I have to believe that it would be one of the most photographed subjects in Mt Rainier National Park as well. There are two drops in the waterfall, the first totaling about 140 feet and the other about 30 feet. Another moderately challenging hike through the forest, just barely 30 minutes outside of Seattle, brings you to Coal Creek Falls. There’s really only one way up to Comet Falls, although there are a couple of extensions you can do to add distance to your hike and get truly off the beaten path, which is kind of a hard thing to accomplish in a place as popular as Mount Rainier National Park. The easier – but by no means “easy” – add on is to hike up to Van Trump Park, a meadow that sits at about 6,500 feet above sea level with great wildflowers in early August (ish – it depends on the year) with views of Rainier looming in the distance.

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Less drastic fall heights are more than made up for by the blanket of mossy forest that surrounds this waterfall, with stone bridges and open meadows along the 3 miles of hiking trails. This Pacific Northwest travel blog is dedicated to exploring the best of the region, with a special emphasis on Washington’s small towns, national parks, and many incredible weekend getaways. Search for: Recent Posts If you’re coming from the Nisqually Entrance, just follow the road about 10 miles up from the park entrance, and you’ll see the small parking lot on your left. Just be sure to make a day of it and explore all that college town Bellingham has to offer – nature and otherwise! – while you’re there. Boeing Creek Cherry Creek Falls is a smaller waterfall near Seattle but is a nice little spot to get away from the city and avoid the crowds at bigger destinations.