Washington · Trail 170

Sunset Falls

Sunset Falls Trail is a 0.2-mile trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 5, fully developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end45.8184° N, 122.2520° W · Directions ↗
Other end45.8194° N, 122.2480° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length0.2 miles, all of it evaluated accessible
Trail class5, fully developed
Typeland trail
Surfaceasphalt (paved)
Typical grade0-5 percent
Typical tread width36-48 inches
Minimum width36 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers170
ForestGifford Pinchot National Forest (unit 0603)
StatesWashington
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Sunset Falls Trail30°40°50°60°70°January: 11.14 inches of precipitation, 2.1 inches of snowFebruary: 8.75 inches of precipitation, 1.9 inches of snowMarch: 8.86 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowApril: 7.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 5.19 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.08 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.90 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.19 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 7.82 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 12.37 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowDecember: 12.23 inches of precipitation, 1.5 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 38.8°F averageFebruary: 40.9°F averageMarch: 44.2°F averageApril: 48.6°F averageMay: 54.8°F averageJune: 59.3°F averageJuly: 64.9°F averageAugust: 65.0°F averageSeptember: 59.9°F averageOctober: 51.8°F averageNovember: 43.8°F averageDecember: 38.5°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Skamania Fish Hatchery, 14 miles from the trail midpoint at 435 feet, station USC00457696 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 83 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 6 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 05/18 to 10/31 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tyee Piles Rx - South

    16 mi from the trail midpoint · 329 acres

  • Prescribed
    Opal Piles Rx -South

    20 mi from the trail midpoint · 73 acres

  • Prescribed
    Red Top Piles Rx - South

    25 mi from the trail midpoint · 42 acres

  • Prescribed
    Crazy Piles Rx - South

    25 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for Washington

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Backpacking Washington
    Douglas Lorain, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon and Washington
    Andy Selters, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Waterfalls in Washington
    Sawyer Scheer, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Washington's Fire Lookouts
    Amber Casali, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hikes in the Washington Region Part C
    Larry Broadwell and William Needham, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Sunset Falls Trail?

The Forest Service records 0.2 miles under this name in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the sum of 1 segment. All of it is evaluated as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Sunset Falls Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Sunset Falls Trail start?

The line begins at 45.8184° N, 122.2520° W and ends at 45.8194° N, 122.2480° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Sunset Falls Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Sunset Falls Trail?

Sunset Falls Campground (under 0.1 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Sunset Falls Trail?

Trail class 5, which the Forest Service describes as fully developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Sunset Falls Trail?

The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Sunset Falls Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 0.2 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is asphalt.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Sunset Falls Trail?

Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0603. The trail is in Washington.

Source: Gifford Pinchot National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Sunset Falls Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Tyee Piles Rx - South at 16 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Sunset Falls in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0603. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.