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.

Utah is a state generally regarded for its truly spectacular landscape, possessing many of the most inspiring features in the United States such as Zion and Bryce Canyons, Waterpocket Fold and the Great Salt Lake.  Utah is not, however, generally well regarded when it comes to waterfalls, yet the state holds a modest quantity of cascades despite its generally more arid climate.  Most of Utah’s waterfalls fall into two primary areas; the Uinta and Wasatch Mountains in the Ogden / Salt Lake / Provo corridor, and the canyonlands in the Zion area in the southwestern corner of the state, with individual waterfalls scattered in other areas as well.

The Uinta Mountains are the state’s tallest, with peaks topping out at over 13,000 feet, but as the mountains have been heavily glaciated in the past most of the valleys feature fairly flat profiles and the waterfalls occurring within them are resultantly not terribly large in either height or volume.  The Wasatch Mountains, on the other hand, feature the state’s biggest waterfalls – many of which are centered around Mount Timpanogos and Provo Canyon just outside of Provo and Orem.  These mountains are much younger and offer much more precipitous drops than their more easterly counterparts.  Both ranges collect a significant amount of winter snow, which fuels their respective waterfalls well into the summer months.

In the southern part of the state, the landscape is dominated by extensive canyonlands and an dry climate.  Perhaps the most spectacular canyons are those occupied by the Virgin River and its tributaries in Zion National Park.  While not nearly as vast and expansive as the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, Zion is arguably the most scenic canyon in the country, cutting as much as 3,000 feet deep into the Kolob Plateau.  Dozens of tributary streams drop into the various forks of the Virgin River, creating dozens of waterfalls in the process.  The tradeoff is that because precipitation is so infrequent here, most of these falls are dry for the majority of the year – flowing best during short-lived summer thunderstorms and immediately following periods of snow in the winter months.

Ultimately it’s the climate and not the terrain that determines the number of significant waterfalls in Utah.  The landscape is certainly there to promote falling water, but that the rainfall totals are generally lacking across much of the state there simply isn’t enough water to remain on the surface in many areas.  While parts of the Wasatch Mountains can receive upwards of 50 inches of precipitation annually, many other parts of the state see fewer than 10 inches.  This wide range of rainfall totals is perhaps the greatest factor in the limited number of waterfalls present in the state of Utah.  At the time of posting our data set we have 74 waterfalls inventoried in Utah, and though we expect to add more in the future, the number may not be too great.

We’ll be slowly filling in holes in the Utah data over the next several weeks, but if anyone has information to contribute, please feel free to help us patch up the gaps in our data.  Up next we’ll discuss the state’s best and most unique waterfalls.

10. Crypt Falls

The hike to Crypt Lake is among the most popular in Waterton Lakes National Park and perhaps one of the most unique hikes in all of the Canadian Rockies.  Starting off visitors are shuttled across Waterton Lake on a boat, then along the 7km climb several waterfalls are passed, culminating with the 575-foot drop of Crypt Falls veiling down the headwall of the valley.  Up close views are restricted because the trail enters a tunnel which bypasses the top of the falls in order to reach Crypt Lake just upstream from the cataract.

9. Caldron Falls

Nigel Falls

While most visitors admire 400-foot Caldron Falls from the Peyto Lake viewpoint some 3 kilometers distant, the falls are quite eye-catching and do their very best to draw the attention away from one of the signature views of the Canadian Rockies.  Those who have the leisure of hiking into the basin of Peyto Creek can observe the falls from a much closer vantage where its true size and power really comes into focus.

8. Nigel Falls

Clocking in at a comparatively modest 109 feet in height Nigel Falls isn’t exactly endowed with lofty stature, but the volume and force created as Nigel Creek hurtles into its lower canyon are indisputably impressive.  In addition to the falls making a powerful statement, the canyon into which it drops is visually quite stunning.  If the natural grandeur isn’t enough, the falls can be viewed framed by the historic steel arch bridge of the Icefields Parkway as it straddles the gorge almost immediately above the falls.

7. Balfour Creek Falls

Though relegated to being seen by just a few mountaineers who journey to the isolated northeastern corner of the Waputik Icefield every year, Balfour Creek Falls is undoubtedly among the most impressive in the Canadian Rockies.  It’s lack of notoriety stems more from the fact that it cannot be seen from any trail or any road, but if transportation across the cerulean waters of Hector Lake can be obtained, the falls will present themselves plunging off of the shelf harboring the Balfour Glacier in what could prove (upon a successfully thorough survey) to be one of the tallest waterfalls in Alberta.

6. Panther Falls

Panther Falls

Panther Falls is one of the most well known waterfalls in Alberta thanks to decades and decades of being advertised as much bigger than it really is, but Panther Falls should still be rightfully known as one of the best waterfalls in Alberta.  The booming waters of Nigel Creek funnels into a narrow gorge and explodes outward with such force that upon impacting a small ledge the falls literally vaporize into mist.  Viewing this spectacle from below is quite inspiring in itself, but getting up close with the falling water from behind its explosive spout (though this is not exactly safe to do) makes a visit much more special.

5. Geraldine Falls

The Geraldine Lakes trail presents a fairly easy opportunity for hikers to get into the high country of Jasper National Park, but it also allows up-close views of one of the province’s best waterfalls.  Between middle and lower Geraldine Lakes lie two significant waterfalls, the upper of which features a cumulative fall of about 500 feet, more than half of which falls in a single broad veiling fall.  Though the upper cascades account for a significant portion of the total drop, it’s the final tier which steals the show and sets the stage for comparisons around the rest of the province.

4. Sideways Falls

With the unique distinction as one of the most interesting waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies, as well as one of the best, Sideways Falls presents an opportunity to kill two birds with one proverbial stone.  Zigzagging down a narrow gorge in a lightning-bolt shape, the 349 foot falls present an eye-catching spectacle for motorists passing along the Icefields Parkway, but for those who make the short cross-country hike to the base of the falls the  power and grandeur of the cataract presents itself much more succinctly.

3. Fossil Falls

Athabasca Falls

Perhaps because it’s tucked deep in a side valley in one of the Canadian Rockies less visited parks, Fossil Falls is a waterfall of impressive caliber which doesn’t receive nearly the attention it deserves.  Aster Creek thunders down its headwall in about five distinct sections, featuring a limestone slot canyon near its brink, a resurgent feeder stream which plunges side-by-side with the second tier of the falls, a violent singular horsetail of about 300 feet, and a mini-amphitheater with a plunging final tier soaking the valley floor in mist.  The easiest views are from a distance but for those who venture closer the experience will be quite distinct.

2. Athabasca Falls

Athabasca Falls may be the most powerful waterfall in Alberta.  The 80 foot falls thunder into a narrow swirling gorge carved into the limestone bedrock, ensuring a constant thick mist is ejected into the air, soaking the hoards of tourists who swamp the falls every summer season. The falls are rightly a popular attraction along the Icefields Parkway – possibly the most overrun landmark in Jasper National Park – and though there is little chance to have the falls to yourself, it is worth visiting regardless of the size of the crowds.

Bow Glacier Falls

1. Bow Glacier Falls

Geologically speaking Bow Glacier Falls is a relatively infantile feature.  The Bow Glacier has steadily retreated since the little ice age maximum, when it covered Bow Glacier Falls and much of the valley below in ice hundreds of meters thick.  It wasn’t until the early 1900s that Bow Glacier Falls began to emerge as the glacier retreated, but once the head wall was revealed, the thunderous 505-foot tall waterfall it produced proved to be quite impressive.  For now the glacier continues to retreat, but one day it may advance again and the falls might be lost once more.

Back in June I had the opportunity to spend a couple weeks in Scandinavia and a solid seven days of that involved driving all over western Norway in search of as many of the country’s best waterfalls that I could squeeze in.  The weather was fantastic while I was in Sweden for the week prior, but as soon as I crossed into fjord country it started raining and basically didn’t stop.  This is, however, not a bad thing where waterfalls are concerned – there was a crapton of water.  Everywhere.  Living in Washington State has allowed me to become somewhat jaded about waterfalls because the Pacific Northwest harbors so many in terms of both quality and quantity.  On my first day in Norway I saw waterfalls which would make Washington’s Top 25 list which I had to basically ignore because “they weren’t big enough” (in actuality because I had no time to stop and photograph all the waterfalls I encountered).  There were literally waterfalls everywhere.  Everywhere.

I came back with approximately 9 gigabytes worth of pictures (I should have had double that, easy but the bad weather had other plans) and about 6 gigabytes worth of video – almost none of which I’ve edited yet.  The end result is we’ve just finished posting full survey reports for 86 of Norway’s best waterfalls – including Langfoss, Mardalsfossen, Vettisfossen, Vøringsfossen, Skytjefossen and Tjørnadalsfossen, among others, plus added a good dozen or so others to the database which we gathered some information on but couldn’t complete a proper survey for one reason or another.  Browse through the list of waterfalls we currently have online for Norway and look for the blue highlighted rows to see the cataloged entries.

Our full Norway data is still a long way from being completed, so if you know of a waterfall in Norway which you don’t currently see on our list, it’s coming.  It’s just going to be a while because we have probably another 3,000 records to sort through and add geodata to before we can upload it to the database.  So, for the time being, hopefully this will tide you all over.  I will be posting video when I can edit it together, but when that will be I’m not sure (hopefully some time over the winter).

For the next installment in our ongoing Mythbusting series, we’re going to be addressing one particularly widespread misconception regarding the stature of Alberta’s Panther Falls.

Is Panther Falls 600 feet tall / the 4^th Tallest Waterfall in Canada?

Unlike our previous article in this series on Della Falls, we don’t have to go anywhere as far in depth to address these claims.  Let’s start with the origins of this idea.  During the earlier days of our researching waterfalls, we frequently came across mention of Panther Falls being 600 feet tall in Almanacs, Encyclopedias and other such reference materials, but very little tangible evidence was presented to back this up.  Likewise the Atlas of Canada has listed – and continues to list – Panther Falls as dropping 600 feet (183m).

Figure 1: Panther Falls, allegedly 600 feet tall

As we discussed in our Della Falls article, sources of information such as a governing body are usually treated as trusted and accurate, so in continuing to list Panther Falls at 600 feet tall, readers would understandably come to believe that this was accurate information.  Additionally, the Atlas of Canada presents Panther Falls as the fourth tallest waterfall on this list, and though they do make the distinction that said list is selected waterfalls of Canada rather than the tallest waterfalls of Canada, some observers may not understand the distinction that the Atlas of Canada list is not all-inclusive right away and as a result may assume it to be a complete and accurate list.

So where did this idea come from?  The answer is not nearly as obvious as we’d like.  Our best guess stems from a hand-tinted photograph taken in 1907 by one Mary Schaffer which shows what appears to be nearby Sideways Falls – which itself is much taller than Panther Falls – and labels it as “Panther Falls?”, though we cannot confirm that it is indeed Sideways Falls (we can confirm that it is not Panther Falls though).  Considering the first time we visited Sideways Falls we attributed it a height of around 600 feet, it’s not unreasonable that a visitor at some point thought that waterfall to be around 600 feet tall and was confused about its name at the time and reported it to be Panther Falls.  This is merely conjecture though, and considering other photographs taken by the same photographer and dated at the same year show the correct Panther Falls labeled as such, we will operate under the assumption that Panther Falls has always been correctly identified as being along Nigel Creek.

Fortunately this is one case where we don’t have to spend a lot of time examining the evidence and presenting a case where we cannot provide specifics.  Survey members from the World Waterfall Database have visited Panther Falls on three separate occasions and were able to accurately measure the falls to stand 218 feet (66m) tall, so the idea that Panther Falls is 600 feet tall is pretty clearly wrong.  What is more puzzling however is that topographic maps very clearly show the drop of Nigel Creek to be nowhere near the suggested 600 foot loss that has been touted in the past, so the ultimate question becomes how did this idea of a 600 foot drop come to subsist for so long?  Unfortunately we simply can’t answer that question.

Figure 2: 1:20,000 scale Topographic Map showing Panther Falls. Notice the contour lines are 40m intervals and clearly do not account for 183m worth of drop on Nigel Creek at Panther Falls

On to our second point of attack, we address the more obvious.  If the Atlas of Canada’s list is indeed selected waterfalls rather than the final word, then we simply need to double check that Panther Falls is not the 4^th tallest waterfall in Canada.  Well, as is plainly seen by looking at our list of Tallest Waterfalls in Canada, Panther Falls doesn’t even come close to 4^th tallest – right now it lands around 190^th tallest, and that’s with data for only two provinces available (when Quebec, Labrador & Newfoundland, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are added, expect its placement to drop considerably).  Right now we have 46 waterfalls inventoried at over 1,000 feet in height in Canada, and more will undoubtedly be added, so right there this claim is way, way off base.  Even if the original idea was that Panther Falls was the 4^th tallest free-falling waterfall in Canada, the criteria still doesn’t hold up for two reasons; 1) Panther Falls isn’t a free-fall of 600 feet, it’s a free-fall of just over 200 feet, and 2) if the name Panther Falls was originally meant to be applied to Sideways Falls, that waterfall is not free-falling either.  So pretty succinctly both of these ideas get tossed out the window.

Myth(s): Panther Falls is 600 feet tall and the 4^th tallest waterfall in Canada.

False (on both counts)

Like the previous claims we addressed regarding Della Falls being considered the tallest waterfall in Canada, the primary point of propagation of the claims surrounding Panther Falls seems to stem from information being disseminated by the Canadian Government.  Unfortunately we cannot determine with certainty the point of origin of their data, but it is pretty clear that their information is incorrect.  That no effort seems to have been taken to correct the error simply refutes the idea that a single source of information should not be viewed as accurate without proper evidence to back up the claims being made.

Maligne Canyon Falls, click for more

Waterfalls of Maligne Canyon

Found just outside of the town of Jasper in Jasper National Park, Maligne Canyon is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the park.  While there are numerous limestone slot canyons in the Canadian Rockies, Maligne Canyon is special for several reasons, but the most impressive feature is the slow resurgence of the Maligne River.  At the head of the canyon a small mountain stream plunges over several waterfalls – the largest about 75 feet tall.  As the canyon continues downstream, seeps and springs feed more and more water into the canyon and by the time it reaches its mouth 3km from the top, a full size river flows forth.  Where does the water come from?  The full size Maligne River actually sinks into the ground several kilometers upstream and remains so until it intersects the porous rock at the bottom of the canyon, providing an outlet.  Hiking down the trails along the canyon, watching the waterfalls steadily increase in volume over such a short distance is quite intriguing.

Vermilion Falls

Vermilion Falls is the northern most waterfall we currently have inventoried in Alberta and it really isn’t special in the sense that the other waterfalls on this list are, there is just one standout characteristic that makes Vermilion Falls unique: its size.  As the Peace River is one of Canada’s largest, the falls automatically become one of the most globally significant waterfalls based on volume.  But with a crest width of 1.8 kilometers (1.2 miles), the falls are also the widest waterfall in North America – twice the width of Niagara – that we are currently aware of.  However, since the falls are only 15-20 feet tall, Vermilion Falls is hardly the spectacle that Niagara is.

Michele Falls

Just east of Banff National Park and north of the David Thompson Highway is the popular Michele Lakes basin at the head of aptly named Waterfalls Creek.  The lakes are a favorite destination for heli-hiking in that the scenic quality of the Rockies parks remains while the red tape of landing aircraft do not.  As Waterfalls Creek flows out of the lower lake, it surges down a thousand-foot cliff, most of the water disappearing into a sink just after it starts to fall.  Halfway down the cliff, the entire stream bursts forth and veils visibly for the remainder of its descent.  While there are many waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies which feature such karst topography, this may be the tallest waterfall in Alberta (which we know of) which falls out of the side of a cliff in one drop.

North Saskatchewan Falls, click for more

North Saskatchewan Canyon

Similar to the aforementioned Maligne Canyon, the slot canyon along the North Saskatchewan River is carved into limestone, but this one differs from most of the other canyons in Jasper and Banff in that the river has cut such a narrow, twisting slot that the river can only be heard, not seen at the bottom of the gorge.  The canyon is so narrow in places – including at the waterfall at its head – that it is literally possible to jump across the gorge (though we would not recommend this, as falling in would be certain death).  Its possible to peer over the edge of the gorge where the river plunges in only to stare into blackness, with the echoing thunder of the falls swirling in your ear.

Weeping Wall

Weeping Wall is not a significant waterfall in most regards.  It usually flows throughout the summer, but only with noticeable vigor for a few months.  But while it may be minor in almost all characteristics, the simple configuration of the seemingly dozens and dozens of delicate strands of water dripping over the roughly 1,200 foot cliff make this location a popular stop along the Icefields Parkway.  During the winter the falls freeze into one of the most impressive collections of icicles in the Rockies.

Cascade Falls, click for more

Cascade Falls

Those traveling to Banff National Park from the Calgary area will be greeted by the sight of Cascade Falls springing out of the side of Cascade Mountain as they approach the town of Banff.  Fed by melting snow which percolates into crevices all over Cascade Mountain, the falls spring right out of the side of the mountain and skip nearly 1,000 feet down the side of the valley in a narrow ribbon.  During the winter the falls freeze into solid sheets of ice, providing one of the most popular destinations for ice climbing in the Banff area.

Grassi Lakes Falls

The Grassi Lakes are a moderately popular attraction found just outside of Canmore near the southern border of Banff National Park.  The two lakes – both of which are not much more than about 150 feet in diameter – produce a full size stream which calmly meanders from the lower lake and promptly veils over a rather impressive two-stepped waterfall of over 150 feet in height.  The reason the lakes are able to produce such a consistent volume of water is that the nearby Whiteman’s Pond, part of the Canmore Hydroelectric system, leeches water into the ground which then resurges in the Grassi Lakes.

Sideways Falls, click for more

Haig Glacier Falls

Haig Glacier Falls holds the distinction of being both one of the most significant waterfalls in Alberta in terms of height and volume, as well as possessing some of the most unique characteristics of any waterfall in the province.  The Upper Kananaskis River emerges from the Haig Glacier and flows through a barren outwash plain before beginning its descent down a twisted limestone slot.  As the river falls over a thousand feet down the canyon it drops through no less than three natural arches, as well as winding in and out of numerous stretches of slot canyon interspersed along the length of the falls.  Despite its size no trails lead to views of the falls and while the top of the falls is very close to the frequently used Haig Glacier Hut, extensive off-trail travel (in Grizzly Bear country no less) is necessary to actually see the falls.

Sideways Falls

One of the most aptly named waterfalls visible from the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park also does double duty as one of the most unique and most impressive waterfalls in Alberta.  Sideways Falls occurs along an unnamed branch of the North Saskatchewan River near Big Bend, emerging from a slot canyon in a series of sliding cascades which pitch over diagonally stratified bedrock.  Between each sliding “step” the water pools, which makes it appear as if the stream were falling in a stereotypical lightning-bolt shape.  At the bottom of this zigzagging pattern the stream is funneled into a narrow chute, from which it explodes into a powerful spout of water which shoots clear across the face of the canyon.  After all this has taken place, the falls lose much of there character, but still fall for several hundred more feet, dropping a total of 349 feet.

Cameron Falls - justbkos, flickr

Cameron Falls

Waterton Lakes National Park wraps around the southern edge of the Canadian length of the Rocky Mountains and visitors entering the small town of Waterton in the park will inevitably stumble across Cameron Falls.  While Cameron Creek is partially dammed above the falls to provide power to the town, Cameron Falls is a waterfall with a very distinct appearance at any time of the year.  The creek first slides down a long incline formed by diagonally uplifted bedrock.  Where the slide terminates the majority of the creek plunges over a sheer cliff, while a portion of it runs along a chute with the grain of the rock, then when it can’t slide any further plunges in parallel to the main creek.  Both plunges then hit on a second diagonal shelf, which allows part of the water to essentially flow behind one of the plunging parts of the falls.  Pictures do a much better job of explaining what happens, so we’ll just leave it at this is a waterfall you’ll want to see.