Isabel Falls
RATING - 58.0
VR - 6.0 (Med) HR - 7.0 SR - 16/20
TYPE OF APPROACH - Trail
DIFFICULTY - Difficult
LOCATION - Index Area
TYPE - Horsetail
HEIGHT - 215'
WIDTH - 20'
DIRECTIONS - Drive east along Highway 2 passing the town of Gold Bar. Turn left onto Reiter Road, staying right/straight when May Creek Road turns to the left. 2.2 miles from the highway you will see a gated dirt road with parking for several vehicles. Park here and begin walking up the road. Take a sharp right at the first 3-way junction, and then take a left at every other fork. The road will end with a nice view looking over the valley and a clear-cut behind you. The trail to the lake runs through the middle of the clear-cut. Once in the woods the trail becomes more obvious, although it gets lost in mud and downed trees at times. You'll arrive at Isabel Falls 5.2 miles from the car.
Isabel Falls is a tall, impressive waterfall located at the outlet of Lake Isabel near Gold Bar, WA. The waterfalls begins with a 164' tall horsetail down a granite rock face. The creek then (very) temporarily flattens out before sliding at a shallower angle for another 61'. The total height of the falls measured at 215'. There is a tremendous amount of foreshortening when viewing the falls from up close, but the initial view from further back really demonstrates the height. Isabel Falls actually has a second segment located further west as the lake contains two outlet streams. In order to view the falls on the western outlet, one would have to cross the creek below Isabel Falls and then bushwhack to the other creek. It wouldn't be that difficult if you weren't already so exhausted from getting to Isabel Falls in the first place. The hike to Lake Isabel is not an easy one, but it's worth it for those in good physical condition.