If you’re on social media and live in the PNW, you’ve probably seen Naked Falls and all the folks having a blast at this swimming hole. It’s only an hour north of Portland and so we headed over the border to check it out for ourselves. Here’s what we discovered:
- Parking Pass is a Must: Grab a $14 daily or $130 yearly parking pass online at Naked Falls’ official website and print it out for your car. If you can’t print, hit up the Washougal River Mercantile at 4232 Canyon Creek Rd, Washougal, WA 98671 to buy one in person. You can feel good about this purchase because it helps the awesome guy who bought this land to provide us access to these falls keep up with maintenance and curb crowds.
- Early Bird Gets the Worm (and prime parking!): This place gets packed! We went on a weekday at 10 AM and had it to ourselves for about 15 minutes, plus we scored prime parking. By noon, it was buzzing. Good news, though— even though this place attracts a lot of people, these people are nice and keep it fairly clean so join them, be kind and pack out everything you bring in.
- Gravel Road Ahead: The last 10 minutes of the drive are on a gravel road, so if your car’s a low-rider, crown yourself a passenger prince / princess for a day and let a friend drive. Also, cell service can be spotty, so keep an eye out for signs on the right marking the trail to the staircase down to the river. Warning: this staircase is steep so a backpack is recommended for packing your necessities in and out.
Bonus Tips:
- 5 minutes before you get to Naked Falls, you’ll pass Dougan Falls. No Naked Falls parking pass needed, but you will need a Washington Discover Pass. This pass is good for parking at any state park in Washington, so a great investment for any adventurer. Visit the gov site for more info.
- Camping at Naked Falls? Yep, it’s a thing! Check out their Hipcamp page for more info and to book your spot.
This was definitely a super fun way to slay the day, beat the heat, and get out into nature for a bit!
Here’s a helpful map of the area for quick reference;
