Officials urge safety at Gunlock Falls amid unexpected runoff

GUNLOCK, Washington County — Thousands of visitors are chasing waterfalls at Gunlock State Park this month due to what officials say is an unexpected spring runoff.

The early runoff, officials say, is due to rainfall that occurred in early February and the Forsyth Fire in Pine Valley in June that caused extensive damage to the watershed.

"A lot of that moisture didn't stay, and it came down pretty fast," said Northwest Fire and Rescue Chief Charley Guthrie. "Our reservoir filled up a lot faster than we thought it would. We're still in a drought, but our reservoir is full, which is the good news. It just came off a little sooner than we expected."

The falls are sporadic, with some years experiencing very little or no runoff. Other years, like the last runoff in 2024, result in heavy water flow. Guthrie said when the falls are running, it is equal parts exciting and challenging — particularly when accidents happen.

"Right now has become a busy time," he said. "The falls are running ... which is absolutely a beautiful thing, but it's bittersweet for us. We love it, but we get a lot of people, and we can get some injuries out here that can be kind of problematic.

"The biggest thing we see are people who don't get out here with appropriate shoes and twist an ankle. Between that and the people who jump, it can get really problematic. ... It's sandstone, but it's also referred to as slickrock. It's called that for a reason. If it gets wet, it gets really, really slick."

Guthrie said that if rescue efforts are needed, his agency and other surrounding departments have put measures in place to get people out safely. He said there are new additions to assist in rescue efforts.

"We recently received a grant from the state, and we purchased our new rescue vehicle and ATV to help facilitate some of the rescues that we go on out here," he said. "When you've got multiple agencies out here working together, communication becomes vital. ... We've turned to some technology that has really helped us out on quite a bit of that.

"AT&T has come up with a program called FirstNet that is a dedicated communication platform that is just for first responders," he added. "When you get in a crowded area and you've got people on their cellpones all competing for a signal, FirstNet has one dedicated just for first responders."

Guthrie said the falls are expected to continue for another couple of weeks, and he wants to remind visitors to stay safe.

"Visitors love to come out here, and we love to have people out here, but it's one of those places that is pretty rugged," Guthrie said. "You've got to make sure you've got proper footwear and you've got your head on a swivel because it can get pretty rough back in there."

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