Best waterfalls in Washington
Washington’s falls come in two flavors: thundering volcano-fed plunges off Mount Rainier and the Olympics, and the desert drama of Palouse and Snoqualmie. The big alpine ones run hardest at summer snowmelt and can stay snowbound into July; the lowland classics go year-round. Pack rain gear regardless.
a fan of misty strands on Rainier’s quieter northwest side.
one of Rainier’s tallest, a long plume reached by a wildflower climb.
a powerful, easily-reached fall taller than Niagara east of Seattle.
a tiered classic with Skykomish Valley views along the way.
a dramatic three-tier fall in the Gifford Pinchot forest.
Washington’s state waterfall, plunging into a desert canyon.
a roaring roadside fall on the way to Paradise in Mount Rainier.
an easy, year-round favorite on the South Fork Snoqualmie.
a lush, multi-strand fall hidden in the Gifford Pinchot forest.
a long cascade below the granite face of Mount Index.
an easy old-growth walk near Lake Crescent in Olympic.
a North Cascades fall lit up at night by a historic light show.
a family-friendly walk to a misty amphitheater near the pass.
the postcard fall framed by Mount Rainier above Paradise.
a rainforest fall splitting into channels in Olympic National Park.
Flows change with the season and recent rain — many falls roar at spring snowmelt and slow by late summer. Check conditions and any permit or reservation rules before you go.