While certainly more famous for its rich history surrounding the establishment of the original colonies in what is now the United States and the resulting revolution, not to mention clam chowder, rabidly smug sports fans, presidential retreats and easy-to-lampoon regional accents, Massachusetts – the country’s 7^th smallest state – respectably holds its own when it comes to waterfalls.

Though not generally thought of as one of the Appalachian states, the modest mountains found in Massachusetts – the Berkshires and Taconics – are essentially sub-ranges of the Appalachian Mountains.  Most of the relief comes in the form of large rolling hills with an underlying structure of Granitic rock, but there are local regions where the terrain is rather pronounced.  It is around such areas that the majority of the waterfalls in Massachusetts occur.  Of the 105 waterfalls we currently have inventoried within the state, about half of them occur within the western ¼ of the state and around 80% are found west of the Worcester metropolitan area.  If you can’t make it out of Boston, there’s even one waterfall found less than a mile from a subway stop.

Because of the storied history in Massachusetts, there is quite literally several hundred years worth of documentation of waterfalls found within the state.  Many features have been harnessed with Mills or Dams at some point or another, others were discovered when found to be an impediment to ships navigating the larger rivers (though some of these turned out to hardly be worthy of being called a waterfall).  Of course, on the converse, because Massachusetts is fairly densely populated and has been for quite some time, much of the land is privately owned and as such there are a fair number of waterfalls which cannot be accessed by the public.  But those that are accessible are usually protected and well developed for the enjoyment of all.

Time to step back and talk some more about the waterfalls in California.  Today we’ll be addressing the most interesting and unique falls in the golden state.  If you’re following this series, you may notice that none of these waterfalls feature a natural bridge, unlike pretty much all the other regions we’ve done these articles for.  It seems the bedrock in California just isn’t conducive to that type of formation, at least at this point in time.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t some damn cool waterfalls there though, so without further ado, here we go:

Le Conte Falls (dkend@pacbell.net, Flickr)

Le Conte Falls

It could legitimately be said that practically any of the waterfalls along the Tuolumne River as it descends the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne could be considered among California’s most interesting and unique waterfalls.  But Le Conte Falls stands out because of one unmistakable characteristic – it’s multiple, massive waterwheels which are formed as the river strikes numerous depressions in the bedrock and jets as much as 30 feet (or more) into the air.  These waterwheels were so eye-catching to early explorers that this waterfall was originally titled Waterwheel Falls, and a mapping error resulted in the title migrating to the next waterfall downstream – which does itself feature a significant waterwheel, but not nearly as prominently.

Burney Falls

Anyone making the argument that Burney Falls is the defacto most unique waterfall in California, we wouldn’t argue with the claim.  Fueled by an extensive aquafir, Burney Creek first and foremost plunges 114 feet over a broad cliff in side-by-side leaps which seem to mirror each other, maintaining an incredibly consistent flow all year long.  But adding to the main stream, the extensive volcanic history of the area has allowed a significant portion of the aquafir to percolate out of the cliff which forms the falls, resulting in a wall of springs gushing out behind the main falls which stretch 250 feet wide!   This specific surface stream / aquafir contrast may be singularly unique in North America, as we cannot conjure another location where such an interaction takes place.

Mossbrae Falls, click to see more

Mossbrae Falls

Like Burney Falls, Mossbrae Falls is the product of the volcanism which dominates much of northern California’s landscape.  In this case, eruptions from satellite vents on Mount Shasta covered a broad area west of the volcano with very porous rock.  Water then percolates into the ground and runs through subterranean channels.  One of the largest group of springs fed by this process is found in the vicinity of the town of Dunsmuir, where spring-fed Mossbrae  Falls bubbles out of the ground and sprays about 50 feet directly into the Sacramento River.  While the volume of the springs does increase during the snow melt season, the falls flow consistently all year thanks to their underground source.  Even at low flow, the falls stretch over 150 feet in width and can achieve a width of nearly 250 feet during the spring.

McWay Falls

There have been discussions about how singularly unique and rare waterfalls which plunge directly into the ocean are, and while this phenomena is not nearly as uncommon an occurrence as some may thing (we’ll be addressing this topic in the future), there are certainly few such waterfalls which are easily seen.  McWay Falls near Big Sur is not only easily accessible, but perhaps the most scenic of any waterfall which drops into the ocean.  Though its stream is relatively small, the falls are striking as it chutes into a narrow free-fall and plunges about 80 feet over a bluff ending directly in the lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean (though technically it only drops into the ocean at high tide, the rest of the time the beach intervenes).  As if this weren’t enough, the lagoon which forms the cove at the falls features some of the brightest, bluest ocean water which can be seen along the California coast.  Photographers have taken note of this and flock to the falls en mass.

Horsetail Falls (Jeffrey Murray, Flickr)

Horsetail Falls

Though it only flow for about two months out of the year, Yosemite’s Horsetail Falls is among the most famous waterfalls on earth.  Why?  Because during a span of about 2-3 weeks in February, the 1,400 foot tall falls are backlit by the setting sun, creating perhaps the most spectacular instance of a “fire-fall” on earth.  The phenomena of a fire-fall isn’t singularly unique to Horsetail Falls, but nowhere else on earth it is nearly as grandiose.  The falls have become so famous among the global community of landscape photographers, thanks to a famous shot by the late Galen Rowell, that every year during February searching for Horsetail Falls on any of the major image hosting website will return a fresh crop of photos of the falls.

Darwin Falls

Waterfalls and deserts are two features which typically do not mix well.  At all.  So finding Darwin Falls tucked back in a canyon right smack in the middle of Death Valley, the hottest and driest location in North America, had to have been a discovery of incomprehensible serendipity.  While the falls are nothing at all to write home about – merely a trickle of water which bubbles out of a spring not too far upstream and drops about 25 feet into a pool, consider that the average temperature in Death Valley from May to October is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (and summer temperatures regularly eclipse 115 degrees).  Also consider that the annual rainfall totals in Death Valley is around 2.3 inches.  For a whole year.  Yet Darwin Falls flows continuously.

Dry Meadow Creek Falls (chowjusky, Flickr)

Dry Meadow Creek Falls

As the Sierra Nevada Mountains are composed almost entirely out of granitic bedrock, the waterfalls found therein tend to feature very sinuous curves and numerous potholes worn into the rock.  This is perhaps most perfectly exemplified in Dry Meadow Creek Falls near the southern terminus of the mountain range.  As the stream flows towards the Kern River Canyon, it twists down a series of cascades which drop about 225 feet in all, but it makes this drop in no less than a dozen distinct leaps.  What makes this so special is the perfect chaining of the pothole pools between each fall.  Each drop has carved a large, deep pool in the bedrock, from which the next fall spills directly out of.  The whole string of falls has become affectionately known as The Seven Teacups to whitewater kayakers who found the waterfalls too good an opportunity to pass up.  The first 7 or 8 drops are all fairly small, no more than 15 feet each, but the final 4-5 tiers are considerably larger, falling up to 50 feet.  Unfortunately the whole waterfall can’t be seen from one spot, but the upper half alone should be worth a visit in its own right.

Tueeulala Falls

Visitors to Yosemite National Park’s Hetch Hetchy Reservoir can witness two of the best waterfalls in California without getting out of their car, at least if you visit at the right time of year.  Wapama Falls can be seen booming down the north wall of Hetch Hetchy valley, exploding onto huge rocks and creating quite a sight all year long.  But if you visit between March and roughly the end of June, Tueeulala Falls can also be seen, plunging a sheer 800 feet in a parallel course to Wapama Falls.  At first glance the falls may not appear special, but the mechanics of how the falls come into existence are quite unique.  Falls Creek, which fuels Wapama Falls, balloons to such immense volume during the melt season that where it runs into a relatively flat area about a quarter mile upstream from Wapama Falls, a substantial portion of the stream escapes its channel and wanders to the edge of the valley in a different course.  This results in two parallel waterfalls, both technically situated along Falls Creek, which are formed by the same precipice but bear distinctly different names.  Making this further interesting, Tueeulala Falls’ lifespan is markedly different than other seasonal waterfalls in Yosemite.  Because the falls only exist when Falls Creek is running high, once the snow melt subsides, the falls can shrink from a booming plunge to just a trickle in a matter of days, as if someone just turned the stream off with a switch.

Staircase Falls, click to see more

Staircase Falls

Though quite easily seen, Staircase Falls is one of the most frequently ignored waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, but this is more due to its very small volume than its stature or character.  Were it left to physical appearance to determine the best waterfalls in Yosemite, Staircase would no doubt be towards the top of the list.  As tiny Gossamer Creek drains from a narrow crevice below Glacier Point, it seems to have skipped out of its natural course to take a caddywompus path to the valley floor by way of a series of diagonally fractured shelves of granite.  Because of how these shelves are sloped, the creek plunges, then effectively slides sideways, then plunges again, and repeats this pattern several times.  The result is the 1,300 foot tall falls actually shift laterally for a greater distance than they fall – that is the top of the falls is almost 1,500 feet west of the bottom of the falls.

Golden Cascade

Golden Cascade is a waterfall of rather small proportion.  It could be considered quaint, even, and it’s not really a location that we would suggest going out of your way to see (though there are two or three other waterfalls in the immediate area).  What makes Golden Cascade stand out is the tiny mineral-rich stream feeding the falls has stained the bedrock so distinctly that the water appears to be sheeting over shiny deposits of gold.  Actually copper would probably be a more apt description, because the color is much more orange than yellow, but either way, it’s saturated to the point where it is far and away the most distinct characteristic of the falls.

Initially what we wanted to do whenever we posted new data sets was talk about the waterfalls which were put online a bit in order to bring some more attention to what’s new.  So far that had been working pretty well enough, but since our last data post was California – which currently features nearly 1,000 waterfalls – there’s a lot we wanted to discuss here.  Since we’ve been working on preparing our data sets while simultaneously talking about it on the blog, we found that this is going to create a bit of a backlog.  So, with that in mind, we’re going to put off discussing the California data for the time being (don’t fret, we will come back to it shortly) and instead post a new chunk of data.  What we have here is data for six whole states – Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, as well as a couple dozen additional falls being posted for Washington State.  None of these six new states feature a significant number of waterfalls (some of you may even be surprised that there are in fact waterfall in these states) so we won’t be doing in-depth posts about them and will instead do a rundown of what all is included below.  Prepare to be wowed.

Florida

Yes, you read that right.  Florida has waterfalls.  Well, three waterfalls at least.  Okay really two and a half waterfalls.  Sort of.  Florida is one of the flattest states in the United States, so naturally one would not expect to find waterfalls there.  There is basically only one waterfall of note, called Falling Water, which drops 67 feet into a sinkhole from a small spring.  Geologically it’s unique in that the stream starts and ends almost simultaneously, but were it in practically any other state in the country it wouldn’t be considered significant.  The state also features Falling Creek Falls, which is a small plunging-type fall of maybe 5 feet.  Whoopie.  The third candidate, Look-and-Tremble Falls sounds menacing and impressive enough, but really it’s nothing more than a minor riffle along an otherwise placid stream.  Actually, it used to be a minor rapid.  Now it’s not even that.  So there you have it, Florida’s glorious waterfalls.  We don’t currently have streamflow data for these falls so we can’t set up a Rating scale for these falls, but rest assured none of them are scoring high.  At all.

Louisiana

Like Florida, Louisiana doesn’t have many waterfalls at all.  We currently have all of five entries for the state, but other than the geodata for each one, we don’t know a whole lot about them.  The state’s tallest waterfall is probably Odum Falls but it’s found within an Army Reservation and is not publicly accessible.  We don’t know a whole lot about Sicily Island Falls but it’s claimed to be 17 feet tall, which is the tallest one we can confirm at this point, but outside of Hurricane season it doesn’t feature much volume at all.  Others are nothing more than minor rapids.  So really not much to talk about regarding Louisiana’s waterfalls.

Mississippi

In Mississippi we’ve got a little more substance to work with.  Currently we’ve got eight falls recorded in Mississippi, at least half of them featuring drops of 10 feet or greater.  The state’s tallest is Dunns Falls, which is actually a partially man-made waterfall that drops 65 feet into the Chunky River having had its watercourse diverted from its natural channel over 150 years ago.  When it flows, it’s not a bad looking waterfall, but there needs to be some consistent rain to bring it up to that level.  The other falls in the state are for the most part significantly lesser in volume, height or are obscure enough that not a whole lot of data is available for them.

Nebraska

The plain states are probably not where one would expect to find waterfalls, but there are actually a higher concentration of waterfalls here than there is in places like Mississippi and Louisiana.  We currently have 11 waterfalls listed in Nebraska – many of them are relatively small, spring-fed trickles but there are a few substantial falls.  Smith Falls is the best in the state, dropping 63 feet over a sandstone bluff in the Niobrara River Valley (where most of the waterfalls in the state are) in a scenic veiling shape.  Similarly, Fort Falls drops about 45 feet over a similar sandstone formation.  In contrast, the river-wide Snake River Falls plunges only about 8 feet, but stretches 30 feet wide and creates a significant roar and spectacle (considering the lack of topography).

North Dakota

Really the odd-man-out of the group, North Dakota may have a higher average elevation than Florida, but overall it’s a flatter state.  North Dakota features only one known waterfall – Mineral Springs Falls – which seeps out of the side of a narrow glen and tumbles about 15-20 feet.  While it’s a legitimate waterfall in its own right (and certainly in the state), were it found elsewhere it would not be highly regarded, much less commonly recognized as a waterfall.

South Dakota

South Dakota actually features some significant mountains – the Black Hills – which reach elevations of over 7000 feet at Terry Peak, the high point of the state.  But even the added topography doesn’t do much for the state in terms of generating waterfalls.  While there could certainly be more that we are not familiar with, there seems to have been very little documentation done to find them.  We have 10 waterfalls currently listed in South Dakota, and while none of them are terribly significant (at least on a global scale) there are several that are quite attractive.  Sioux Falls, found right in the middle of the state’s largest city which takes its name from the falls, is a fairly powerful river-wide waterfall that drops about 50 feet.  Three of the best falls in the state, Bridal Veil Falls, Roughlock Falls and Spearfish Falls, can all be found in Spearfish Canyon in the heart of the Black Hills amid the unique geology of the area.  Several of the other waterfalls in the state are lesser known and harder to access, so we can’t quite effectively comment on their statures.

Characterized by extensive mountainous terrain and a wildly variable climate, California is a state with a serious case of multiple personality disorder when it comes to waterfalls.  As the third largest state in the union by land area, and being as mountainous as it is, one would assume California to harbor perhaps the highest concentration of waterfalls in the country.  While California does have lots of waterfalls, this isn’t quite a true assertion.

Without question the majority of California’s waterfalls occur within the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Featuring peaks reaching well above 14,000 feet – including Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states – the terrain is perfect for generating waterfalls.  The landscape has been heavily glaciated (though very few glaciers remain, and those that do will not last much longer), the winter brings very heavy snow falls and the precipitous topography results in hundreds of significant leaps and plunges.  No area in California exemplifies this better than world-famous Yosemite National Park, which features many of the best and most famous waterfalls in the United States.

But the makeup of the Sierra is also a double-edged sword when it comes to the formation of waterfalls.  That the mountain range is composed almost entirely of heavily glaciated granitic bedrock with very little top soil, most of the water which falls as either rain or snow will quickly run off.  This results in many of California’s best waterfalls being either seasonal or greatly reduced during the later half of the year.  In addition to this behavior, the Sierra are also an older and more gradually sloped range, so the number of really big waterfalls is not as large as is found in the Rockies or the Cascades.

California also harbors a significant series of coastal mountain ranges, and while the climate is much more a factor in determining whether waterfalls occur therein, there is still a significant quantity of waterfalls in the western margin of the state – especially between the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas.  Many of the waterfalls found in these areas are significant in height, but don’t usually flow with much force and outside of the winter months are usually not terribly noteworthy.

While we certainly have more work to do in terms of cataloging waterfalls in California, and there are certainly more waterfalls which are known to occur throughout the state which we have not addressed in this database (we will be discussing this in a future post), California for all intents and purposes harbors the third highest quantity of waterfalls of any state in the US, only bested by Washington and Oregon.  At the time of publication our California data set contains 976 waterfalls and there is little doubt that it will eclipse a thousand in the not-too-distant future.

Some states or countries might not be quite as well endowed when it comes to waterfalls as the regions which we posted at the time of launch.  In cases like this – such as with the state of Utah – we’re going to do a condensed post outlining both the best and most unique waterfalls at the same time because there may not necessarily be enough waterfalls to fill up a more extensive version of each list on its respective own.

Utah’s 5 Most Unique Waterfalls

Doughnut Falls - Conor Barry, Flickr

Doughnut Falls

If you’ve been following our “Most Unique” series, you’ll undoubtedly be aware that waterfalls which feature arches or natural bridges are sure bets to make the list.  Doughnut Falls is Utah’s obligatory participant in this category.  Though the falls drop no more than about 25 feet, the incorporation of the arch is unique – rather than spanning across the face of the falls, the stream plunges into a pothole which has punched straight through the undercut cliff into the alcove below.  The result allows for visitors to stair straight up through the skylight while the water falls in the opposite direction.

Sinawava Falls

Zion National Park is rather famously known for its spectacular scenery, but not so much for its waterfalls – largely because the waterfalls are short lived.  But when flowing there are several noteworthy and unique which could qualify for this article.  We chose Sinawava Falls because of its seemingly ethereal origins.  The stream in Telephone Canyon – when it flows – is squeezed out of a slot canyon perhaps 2 feet wide at most, from which it explodes into a 600-foot tall plume of mist to meet the Virgin River on the floor of the canyon.  That the falls typically flow at their most violent immediately after a passing thunderstorm adds further to the fleetingly fascinating nature of the falls.

Water Canyon Falls - TMullenaux, Flickr

Water Canyon Falls

This waterfall isn’t really unique on its own, but among Utah’s modest offerings it holds one distinct characteristic which is uncommon: this is a waterfall which flows all year long while being situated in the heart of canyon country, or more specifically in Bryce Canyon itself.  Water Canyon Falls only drops about 20 feet, but feature very interesting geology (as does pretty much all of Bryce Canyon.  Hoodoos line the sides of Water Canyon above the falls and the slightly blue-tinted small stream meanders along in a copper-hued wash that creates a very colorful scene.

Ogden Canyon Falls

The well-known falls in Ogden Canyon are included here because for better or worse they are not naturally occurring.  Water diverted from the Ogden River at the Pineview Dam several miles upstream is channeled into the Ogden Canyon Conduit, which in turn fuels several aqueducts which distribute to various municipal water supplies.  Just before the mouth of the canyon where the canal is split to distribute to the north and south, a wasteway channel was constructed, which allows excess water to spill back into the Ogden River, forming a rather impressive waterfall on the order of 300 feet in height.  Because the falls will effectively be regulated by how much water is being drawn off in the canal, the falls can turn off or on in an instant.

Cascade Falls

While the modest size of Cascade Falls – a clean plunge of maybe 10-15 feet at most – isn’t going to impress anyone, the nature of the falls will certainly turn heads.  Cascade Falls is the natural outlet of Navajo Lake, found about a mile and a half to the northwest, but it’s a subterranean outlet.  Cascade Falls marks the emergence of the stream from the underground channel, plunging directly out of the cave and beginning the North Fork of the Virgin River.

Stewarts Cascades - edmond.k, Flickr

Utah’s 5 Best Waterfalls

5. Malan Falls

The aptly named Waterfall Canyon just outside of Ogden harbors a surprisingly impressive cataract despite its small drainage area and relatively dry climate.  Malan Falls veils a good 200 feet down from a narrow hanging valley, and though the falls certainly suffer from the lack of precipitation in the summer months, during the spring the volume of water launching into the impressive amphitheater can be quite impressive.

4. Timpanogos Falls

Mount Timpanogos harbors some of Utah’s best waterfalls.  As the North Fork of the Provo River cascades out of Primrose Cirque, it cascades over a series of as many as nine distinct waterfalls.  While at the time our Utah data was posted we only have one distinctly inventoried, the high concentration of significant waterfalls (all likely over 50 feet in height, if not substantially more) in this area is quite worthy of attention in a state as (relatively) deficient in waterfalls as Utah.

Lower Calf Creek Falls - Trevor Anderson, Flickr

3. Lower Calf Creek Falls

While not swamped with the crowds seen in some other parts Utah’s canyon lands, Lower Calf Creek Falls is a scene that is synonymous with the desert southwest.  Plunging 126 feet over a cathedral sandstone cliff stained with lichen, Lower Calf Creek Falls is an ethereal, impressive and exceptionally photogenic waterfall.  Though not terribly tall even by Utah standards, the falls are exceptional in their consistency and resilience amid the arid climate and create an eagerly welcomed oasis for hikers venturing into the canyon.

2. Stewarts Cascades

The other set of impressive waterfalls on the east side of Mount Timpanogos is found in Stewarts Cascades, a booming 300 foot tall set of falls situated behind the Sundance ski area.  While the falls are composed of five distinct steps, it’s the bottom two drops which are most eye-catching.  The lowermost tier isn’t terribly significant, but coupled with the broad, veiling, nearly 200-foot tall fourth tier the stair-step combination is exceptionally scenic, and in the early summer very powerful as well.

Bridal Veil Falls - chrotting, Flickr

1. Bridal Veil Falls

Certainly the most well-known waterfall in Utah, Provo Canyon’s Bridal Veil Falls is also the state’s most impressive fall and is said to be the tallest as well (though this remains to be tested).  Falling a reported 607 feet in two (possibly three) eye-catching, veil styled steps the falls are an instant attention grabber for motorists traveling through the canyon.