Located only 5-1/2 miles east of Randle, just off US Highway 12 at Silverbrook Road, Hopkins Creek Falls is an extraordinary reward for very little effort. The Lower Falls are not far off the road and up a short, well-worn trail. The Lower Falls get more attention than the Upper Falls because they can be reached so easily. The top part of the Lower Falls is a 45-foot, horsetail-style drop, then a steeper veil-type fall, followed by a 93-foot cascading fall, taking on an eye-catching, stair-step pattern from the underlying fractured bedrock.
With sustained rainfall or melting snow higher up in the basin, the stream flows well and the falls are a worthy destination, although they do have less water volume in the late summer and early fall. In the lower flow period, the water is funneled into a well-defined flume-like crack in part of the bedrock. Source: Northwest Waterfall Survey
You can continue past the cache location to the base of the falls for a better view. GPS signals may be quite jumpy under the heavy tree cover.
There are several private homes near the trailhead, so please obey the "No Parking" signs that you see. There is a small pullout indicated with a Parking waypoint.
The cache: This cache is a regular-sized lock&lock container. Walk slightly uphill on Silverbrook Road about 100 feet and you should spot the trailhead on the east side of the road, although it is NOT marked with a sign. Trailhead coordinates are provided. The trail is steep at the beginning, but soon becomes only a sight additional elevation gain. At the time of this placement, there was one new large tree down across the trail, but it was easily crossed. Once you reach the crest of the trail, you'll be instantly rewarded with a beautiful view of the falls.
Please re-hide and cover the container as well or better than you found it to keep it out of sight from muggle visitors to the falls. Local non-geocachers often visit this beautiful spot, so help us keep the cache safely hidden. If you found the previous cache at this location, you should find this one fairly easy.
2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and to celebrate, Visit Rainier and WSGA hosted the Visit Rainier Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches placed in and around Mount Rainier National Park. The geocaches highlighted the rich history, scenic wonders, quaint communities, and hidden gems of the Rainier region. Participants received geocoin and pathtag prizes for finding all the caches.
