Falls Creek Falls

Though possessing a name which may suggest a less interesting (albeit fitting) subject, Falls Creek Falls is among the largest and most powerful waterfalls in southern Washington. Fed by an extensive network of springs and streams originating on the Red Mountain plateau - itself a product of the volcanic eruptions which created nearby Big Lava Field - Falls Creek sends a considerable volume of water hurtling 335 feet over its valley's headwall in three distinct steps. The upper tier veils 109 feet in a broad fan-shaped fall which skips down the initial tier of the cliff. Shortly after, the creek spreads out to a breadth of over 100-feet across a gently domed ledge and plunges 135 feet in several segments. After gathering through a cluster of large boulders which have fallen off the adjacent cliffs, the third tier leaps a final 91-feet into a narrow amphitheater gorge. Shortly downstream of the falls are a series of sliding cascades as well, though views of which are harder to come by (we did not include these cascades with the height of the falls).