Naked Falls on the Washougal River

Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington

Shane Kucera

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Plan In onX Backcountry

Sandy beach

No

Cliff jumping

Yes

Hike-in Required

No

Sensitive Habitat

Yes

Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Naked Falls offers multiple cliff jumping from various heights, waterfall slides, and plenty of dry rock space for picnics and sunbathing. Aside from the challenge of the short-but-steep trail accessing the river from the road, the location is well suited for all ages. The main attraction at Naked Falls is the 30-foot cliff that gives jumpers the chance to plunge into a dark and deep spot in the river. For those that are a bit timid when it comes to heights, Naked Falls is still worth the trip. The Washougal River is crystal clear and the area has numerous swimming holes with slow-moving water. Also, just a short walk up river is a bridge with two rope swings.

Rumor has it that the location was named for the popularity of the falls as a locale for nude summer sunbathing. If tanning in the nude wasn’t what initially drew people to the location, maybe it was the fact that Naked Falls is the second largest waterfall on the Washougal River.

Naked Falls has only recently been reopened to the public. A use fee is now required for those using the site, available at either at nakedfalls.com or at Washougal River Mercantile on Canyon Creek Road. This is a special area that is vulnerable to misuse; to keep Naked Falls accessible to the public, please enjoy the area responsibly, pack in what you pack out, and do your best to Leave No Trace.

Logistics + Planning

Parking Pass

Day-use parking pass required, no other passes honored.

Pros

Various cliff heights for jumping. Crystal-clear water.

Cons

Can be crowded on hot days. Steep-but-short climb into the river area.

Pets allowed

Allowed

Features

Sensitive Habitat

Nearby Adventures

Dougan Falls

Washougal River

Dougan Creek Campground

Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington

Washougal River, Miles 15-16

Washington, Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Dougan Creek Campground

Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington

Beacon Rock State Park Group Campground

Columbia River Gorge, Washington

Beacon Rock State Park Campground

Columbia River Gorge, Washington

Comments

08/02/2017

You can stop at the Washougal River Merantile (small country store at the corner of Washougal River Road and Canyon Creek Road) to buy the $12 parking pass. The Facebook link (provided by Alex in an earlier comment) is a great resource! https://www.facebook.com/washougalriver/

The short and steep hike down to the river is no joke... if you're bringing a dog, make sure you can carry them if they're not super agile. It's basically like climbing an uneven ladder made of roots and stone. There may be an easier approach upriver by the bridge, but not sure.

I recommend bringing a chair as there's really no place to lay out comfortably. But there's lot of exploring, tons of little nooks and crannies to chill in, and you can usually find a little shade on the banks. Also highly recommend wearing Chacos or other river shoes to save your feet.

I went on a Wednesday in August - stayed uncrowded until about 4, then got overrun with teenagers. Still, if you head upriver a little bit there's plenty of space to spread out.

So happy to have Naked Falls open again!

09/02/2017

Perfect swimming spot! We went on a 100 degree day on Labor Day weekend and the water was perfect, crowds were much less than I expected! We did go further down to the bridge and there is no climb, just a small path that leads to the water - easy for dogs, kids, and those not able to make the steep climb. There was a smaller jump spot (maybe 6 ft?) into deep water, waterfalls to play in, and a rope swing from maybe a 10ft rock (use with caution!).

As you arrive you first pass Dougan Falls, which looks like another great swimming hole but it was pretty crowded. Drive another 2 miles down a gravel road and arrive at Naked Falls. As Karen mentioned you can buy the parking pass at the store before hand, but we arrived not knowing this and the very friendly owner was there to collect money for the parking pass.
Great idea on bringing camping chairs because the rocks are not the most comfy to lay on!

07/17/2017

Good news, Alex, thanks for the update!

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