Hike & Chill in Duvall, Washington
A quick easy getaway from Seattle or even if you are flying in Duvall is just over a hour drive from SeaTac. It is located close to the major passes headed into the mountains and further east, making it a little less popular and therefore less busy and inexpensive.
We stayed at a super cute Airbnb cabin. The cabin was small, but cozy with a small kitchen with running water, hot plate and toaster oven, a sleeping loft, and a nice screened in porch. The bathroom was an outhouse just a few steps from the cabin, which was nice and very clean with a composting toilet and an outdoor shower in the back. It is pretty glamorous camping.
It is close to Lake Margaret where you can walk in the mornings or evenings for some fishing, hanging out, or just enjoying the nice views. There is also a whole trail system you can access directly from the cabin, no need to even get in the car to go for a hike. The cabin was just a short 15 minute drive from downtown Duvall, which has some great little restaurants, a wine tasting room, brewery, and distillery. There is also a nice grocery store in town that even sells some local products like butter and cream from the local dairy. The cabin is a great spot if you want to feel like you are in nature, but still not be too far from the amenities of a town.
Day 1: Head over to Highway 2 for a hike
From Duvall you are close to a bunch of great hiking off highway two. Pack your backpack full of water and snacks and head off on a hike. The trailhead to Wallace Falls is only about 40 minutes away from the cabin and gives you a chance to see many waterfalls. If you don’t mind driving a little further and are more into the lake and big mountain views, the Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls hike is just a little further up highway two. Or Lake Valhalla trail head is near the top of the pass on highway. Both hikes are not too difficult and end at gorgeous mountain surrounded lakes. Check out the Washington Trail Association website for hike recommendations with descriptions on how to access the trailheads, what passes are necessary to park, and reviews with current conditions. After returning from the hike you can enjoy dinner in Duvall or I highly recommend making up a big charcuterie board at the cabin and enjoying it in the screened in deck.
Lake Serene
Day 2: Morning in Duvall & Cherry Falls hike
For your second day have a quiet morning at the cabin sipping coffee and reading. When you are ready for something more to eat and a little exploring head to downtown Duvall. Pick up breakfast and a latte at Grateful Bread, which had excellent pastries and breakfast sandwiches. If hiking before your big meal is more you style, do the hike in the morning then head down to Duvall. There is a brewery, wine tasting room, and distillery that look and sounded amazing to spend an afternoon post hike.
Then head back to the cabin and jump on the trail just to the side of the outhouse and link up to the Cherry Falls hike. You will want to have Alltrails or Gaia maps downloaded, as there are so many little paths in this area it would not be hard to get lost. With maps downloaded on the GPS on my phone, it was easy to navigate. Pick any path to follow and head to the falls, there are so many different ones you can easily complete this is as a loop and not have to go back the way you came. From the cabin you approach Cherry Falls from a different direction than the main trail, so you will likely have the paths all to yourself, which is great because the other trail can be much busier especially if you are going on a weekend. If it is hot there is a nice pool in front of the falls you could take a little dip in or just cool off your feet. Its a nice spot to relax in nature for a few minutes. When I was there someone had brought a little watercolor set and was sitting on the rocks painting, which would be a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
