You’ll Be Blown Away By The 10 Tallest Waterfalls In Washington

The waterfalls in Washington aren’t only breathtaking but some are larger-than-life. We have falls that drop hundreds of feet in multiple tiers, with a misty beauty that can only truly be appreciated in person. Just looking up at them from only 5 or 6 feet tall is an incredible reminder of how small we really are. But the Pacific Northwest has falls around pretty much every corner. Which ones drop higher than the rest? Check them out below.

10. Narada Falls

Height: 188 feet
Location: Mount Rainier National Park

Narada Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Mount Rainier National Park, not only because it’s so beautiful but the viewpoint is wonderfully easy to reach. It’s only 0.1 of a mile walk down from the parking lot to an overlook where you can get views of the falls and the best photo ops. Or if you’re looking to get more of a hike in, you can continue on from here to Reflection Lakes to see Rainier mirrored in alpine water.

9. Palouse Falls

Height: 198 feet
Location: Southeastern Washington

Palouse Falls isn’t as well known as Snoqualmie but it is deemed as our state’s official waterfall. The 198-foot cascade is in the southeastern corner of Washington, about half-way between the Tri-Cities and Pullman. It’s set within Palouse Falls State Park with great camping and trails for different viewpoints of the canyon.

8. Rocky Brook Falls

Height: 229 feet (in three tiers)
Location: Brinnon, Olympic Peninsula

“Hiking” to Rocky Brook Falls is more like an easy nature walk – the trail only spans about 200 yards. But that doesn’t make it any less impressive. Not to mention the pool at the bottom can also be used as a swimming hole during the summer. What better place to go for a dip?

7. Twin Falls

Height: 230 feet (in 6 tiers)
Location: Olallie State Park, near Snoqualmie

Twin Falls actually consists of three sections, but most people just know it for the final 135-foot horsetail drop. It’s an easy family-friendly hike along the Snoqualmie River, through the woods and up switchbacks for about 2.6 miles RT. Sections of the trail had been closed and damaged from a washout in 2014 but they’ve recently been restored and the entire route is now open to the public again.

6. Snoqualmie Falls

Height: 268 feet
Location: Snoqualmie

Surprised that Snoqualmie Falls isn’t the tallest? Me too. It’s certainly our most famous after being featured in the show Twin Peaks. A couple of viewpoints are easy to reach from the parking lot, or you can take a short walk down through the woods for a view from the bottom.

5. Pearl Falls

Height: 310 feet
Location: Mount Rainier National Park

Pearl Falls isn’t very well known because it’s so hard to reach. But it boasts one of the highest drops in Mount Rainier National Park, plunging over 300 feet into a rocky canyon near Pyramid Peak. It is possible to see the falls on foot – though it takes a few days of backpacking – but you can also spot it while driving Highway 706 near Ricksetter Point.

4. Wallace Falls

Height: 367 feet (3 drops)
Location: Wallace Falls State Park, near Gold Bar

Just when we think a waterfall can’t get any more beautiful, Wallace Falls enchants us all over again. The waterfall has a Lower, Middle and Upper Falls, with a trail that leads through the forest to view each one. Perhaps the best known drop is the Middle Falls – pictured above – which is not only surrounded by Evergreen forest but has something that most other waterfalls don’t – a mesmerizing S-shaped curve. The Middle Falls also offers a great place to stop, catch your breath and take in sweeping views of the Skykomish Valley.

3. Comet Falls

Height: 380 feet
Location: Mount Rainier National Park

Photos just don’t do Comet Falls justice – this thundering waterfall looks even bigger in person. It’s also quite easy to reach. The trail winds along Van Trump Creek for less than four-miles round-trip, climbing up a hill and over log bridges to the falls with other, smaller cascades to see along the way.

2. Mazama Falls

Height: 490 feet (in seven drops)
Location: Wells Creek, near Mount Baker

Mazama Falls is another waterfall that’s not very well known because of how difficult it is to reach. The falls are heavily surrounded by forest with no safe main trails – in fact, the slopes and terrain in the area are very steep and often covered in slick pine needles.

1. Bridal Veil Falls

Height: 1,291 feet (in seven tiers)
Location: Near Stevens Pass

Bridal Veil Falls may not seem like it’d be the largest but that’s only because a third of the total height can be seen from the trail. It consists of seven tiers – including five major ones – and a combined drop totaling over a thousand feet. The water flows from nearby Lake Serene over the rugged wall of Mount Index, with a misty spray that kids and dogs love in the summertime.

Were you surprised that Snoqualmie Falls didn’t make #1? What are some of your favorite waterfalls in Washington?

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