Tumwater Falls — Attraction in Tumwater

One of the best places to see fall colors!

Tumwater Falls is a gem in the Pacific Northwest. The trail is short and easy, yet offers beautiful views of the rushing Deschutes River and its three cascading waterfalls—especially breathtaking during autumn when the trees explode with color this year.

The history here makes the place even more special. Originally called Puget Sound Falls by European settlers in 1829 and later Shutes River Falls, it finally became Tumwater Falls in 1845—named by American settler Michael Troutman Simmons after the Chinook word tumtum, meaning “heartbeat,” inspired by the sound of the water.

Today, the falls are part of the Tumwater Historic District, which is dedicated to preserving the historic surroundings near the three waterfalls along the Deschutes River. The name Deschutes comes from French, meaning...

Tumwater falls park is a lovely place for some relaxing shade mixed with some beautiful water falls of all sizes. The walk takes anywhere from 30 mins to 1hr + depending on mobility. There are places to rest along the way for any out of breathe ladies and gents. There's a really cool platform at the end that you can walk down so close you gets blasted with a little refreshing mist that rejuvenates the body. I can remember i took my senior pictures here and can say tumwater falls is a staple of its community. Aka (thurston county). Went there with my kiddo the other day and had a blast. I highly recommend to any and all parents who have little ones but need to stay budget friendly with prices not that great these days. Bout the most fun a person can have for being...

Tumwater falls runs all over most other easily accessible, well kept walkable parks. Take a quick moment to swing by and enjoy the local treasure.

Why 4/5 stars? It’s not perfect, not that 5 stars inherently means perfection. The park needs maintenance and cleaning in spots. Some of the more shady characters hanging out there also add an air of uncomfortable space. However, this is all solvable.

Like stated previously this park is easily walkable, some minor grades and stairs(if desired). An awesome bridge, and ultimately a wonderful ambiance to get lost in for a short while. In my limited experience, few places capture so much of what a park can be in such a...