Bridal Veil Falls

All I can say is WOW!  We went to Bridal Veil Falls near Index WA on July 28th and it was amazing! This is about a 5 mile hike medium in difficulty.  The trails are quite narrow with some mud and water over the walkway.  Some areas are also rocky so watch your step.  I wouldn't recommend bringing anyone under 5 years old.

Don't let the trail fool you.  It was narrow with lots of bugs and not fabulous views.  The forest was nice and quiet with birds sounding in the distance.

You will walk through the forest for about 1 1/2 miles and the trees open up to amazing views of the tree and snow filled mountains.  My boys just wanted to sit there and enjoy the view for a while.

After this viewpoint you will walk a bit further and see a sign that points right for the falls and left for Lake Serene ( about 2 more miles with strenuous switchbacks).  We stayed to the right for today.

You will notice as you continue up that the temperature slowly cools and you know you are getting close.  You will pass a moss covered rock on the right and then you will hit the STEPS.

We counted 187 on our way.  Whenever I count stairs I always seem to be off by a few.  See how many you can count and let me know how close we were.

As I took pictures the boys got a lead on me and all I hear is them yelling "Oh my gosh mom!  You have to see this."  This must be good!

So I continued up to the top and they were right! Amazing!  We were so close, we could feel the cool mist on our faces and could touch the icy water!

These pictures and videos can never show the true majesty and beauty of God's creations.  Just know that everything posted here is even more beautiful in person.  My oldest son said that this is the best hike yet and we have done many.  I always tell my kids when we see these awesome sights that  you have to work hard to experience the best life has to offer and this is a perfect example.  We sat for about a half an hour just watching the falls before we had to go back down.  We didn't want to leave.

To get to the trailhead, travel east on Highway 2  from Monroe, WA. At milepost 35.2, about 21 miles east of Monroe, turn right onto Mount Index Road (Forest Road 6020 - gravel). Travel 0.3 mile on Forest Road 6020 and branch right onto Forest Road 6020-109 (gravel) follow the sign that says Lake Serene. The trailhead parking is just ahead.  A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead. There are two potties in the parking area (pretty fresh when we were there). 

Check out my post on Where to buy your Forest Pass

I hope you enjoy this hike as much as we did.  We made a couple of really fun stops on the way home that I will ad in a new page called "fun stops on the way".  Keep your eyes peeled. 

I always like to hear your comments, so if you have a favorite hike, comment, or question, let me know!  You can also get email notifications when I make a new post by following me by email at the top of the page.