North Clear Creek Falls, AnotherTessCreation (Flickr)

The Rocky Mountains average 65 million years in age, so rain, snow, glaciers and ice caps have had a long time to erode down what were once much more jagged peaks to the now (generally) more gentle peaks which are found throughout the range.  This more modest topography works in direct opposition to the formation of waterfalls.  This isn’t to say the landscape doesn’t promote the formation of waterfalls, but just that there will be fewer of them than in younger mountain ranges (such as the Sierra Nevada or Cascades).  Many of the highest summits are quite broad and shallow in slope in result – perhaps the most famous, Pikes Peak, even features a road and a Cog Railway which climb to it’s 14,115 foot summit.

While the topography should in theory support a broad distribution of waterfalls across the mountains of Colorado, there are semi-isolated areas where waterfalls are more likely to occur.  Several of the sub-ranges of the Colorado Rockies feature more erosion resistant or younger bedrock and are in turn steeper.  Sub ranges like the San Juan Mountains, the Gore Range and the Front Range through Rocky Mountain National Park all feature a higher concentration of waterfalls than in other regions of the state – with the San Juans harboring the highest concentration.

Given the extensive mountainous terrain of the state of Colorado and the heavy snowpack that much of these mountains can receive during the winter, there should be quite a few waterfalls here.  Our data is almost certainly incomplete, and the 423 waterfalls we have thus far inventoried in Colorado are sure to just be a portion of the total found in the state.  We fully expect to add more waterfalls in Colorado in the future, but unlike states like California or Washington, the number likely won’t be significant.

Horsetail Falls, click for more

10. Horsetail Falls

While maps indicate otherwise, Horsetail Falls does its best to convince visitors that it actually is located in Yosemite National Park.  Situated along Pyramid Creek as it flows out of the Desolation Wilderness to the west of Lake Tahoe, Horsetail Falls lives up to its name as it skips and slides 791 feet down the polished granite valley above Twin Bridges.  The falls are prominently visible from Highway 50 between Twin Bridges and Phillips, but its scale and power cannot be adequately appreciated without hiking a relatively easy 2 miles to the base of the falls.

9. Ribbon Fall

With a sheer drop of 1,612 feet, Ribbon Fall is the tallest recorded free-falling waterfall in North America.  This claim to fame alone makes it a noteworthy waterfall to seek out when visiting Yosemite National Park, but while Ribbon Creek is a seasonal stream which usually runs dry by July, Ribbon Fall can exhibit an impressive volume of water during the spring melt – during some years it can rival Yosemite Falls in terms of sheer spectacle – and it should in no way be thought of as a minor waterfall.

8. Feather Falls

Perhaps the most well known of California’s waterfalls which are not located in Yosemite National Park, Feather Falls is a spectacular cataract which hurtles 410 feet into the North Fork Feather River canyon just upstream from where it empties into Lake Oroville.  The falls can range from an explosive, thunderous plume of water during the spring months to a more delicate lacy veil during the late summer, but with a significant drainage basin feeding the falls, there is ample water to justify the 3 1/2 mile hike that a visit mandates at any time of the year.

Ribbon Fall, click for more

7. Illilouette Fall

Essentially the neglected middle child of Yosemite Valley’s waterfalls, Illilouette Fall is the most consistent waterfall found in the valley.  Fueled by the largest tributary to the Merced River the falls thunder 370 feet into a narrow side canyon below Glacier Point, below which the stream cascades steeply among huge boulders for another thousand feet.  While the falls are partially visible at a distance from the John Muir Trail heading towards Vernal and Nevada Falls as well as Half Dome, to appreciate it in full one must start a 2-mile hike from Glacier Point and the lengthy detour necessary to achieve this goal is enough to keep the majority of the valley’s crowds away.

6. Stevenson Creek Falls

You’ve probably never heard of this waterfall for a couple good reasons – it’s sort of out of the way and it’s been regulated by the Shaffer Lake Dam so that Stevenson Creek runs dry for a portion of the year.  However, during the snow melt, when the creek bursts from its banks, Stevenson Creek puts on a spectacular show, plunging into the San Joaquin River Canyon in a massive 1,200-foot tall, 4-stepped waterfall which quite literally sprays right onto the road.  In fact, when the creek is running at its peak, the road is actually closed because of all the water falling onto the road.  This also makes it very difficult to see the entire waterfall at peak flow, since the shortest approach to the falls requires crossing the bridge.  Unfortunately it’s canyon also makes viewing the entire waterfall difficult, but what can be easily seen is quite jawdropping in its own right.

5. Vernal Fall

Jumping back to Yosemite for the final five entries finds us at what is perhaps one of the most recognizable waterfalls on earth – the Merced River’s Vernal Fall.  The 200-something foot tall, 80-foot wide falls are nearly as famous for being a deadly attraction as it is for being one of the most powerful and scenic waterfalls in the United States.  Drawing thousands of visitors every year, the falls have racked up a startling death toll thanks to those who stray beyond the safety railings.  This unfortunate statistic speaks to the dangers that waterfalls pose and the respect that people must bestow upon the power of water, and Vernal Fall is quite visually a reminder of exactly how powerful water can be.

Bridalveil Fall, click for more

4. Bridalveil Fall

If there is one image synonymous with California (other than the infamous Hollywood sign at least), it has to be the spectacular vista from Yosemite National Park’s Tunnel View, punctuated by the delicate plume of Bridalveil Fall as it sprays 620 feet into Yosemite Valley in a perfect free-falling plunge.  Though visitors who make the easy walk to the base of the falls might not so easily describe it as “delicate” since the falls can send forth a blinding wall of spray during the melt season that makes photographing the falls up close a near impossible task until the water level has waned considerably.  Fortunately there are literally dozens of other locations to appreciate this impressive cataract without having to deal with the elements.

3. Nevada Fall

Nevada Fall marks the beginning of the Merced River’s descent into the Yosemite Valley proper and it does so in gratuitous style, plunging then smashing onto an angled apron of rock and veiling for the final half of its roughly 480 foot descent.  With the considerable volume of the Merced present in the spring, Nevada Fall is in all likelihood the most powerful waterfall in California, but even with the immense drainage basin the river can shrivel and all but dry up by the autumn months thanks to the lack of soil to retain ground water in the basin above.  Those who visit the falls in the spring and early summer months would probably find this to be an astonishing fact considering how much water moves down the falls earlier in the year.

2. Wapama Falls

The Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park is essentially devoid of visitors when compared to the summer overcrowding seen in Yosemite Valley itself.  Those who do visit the valley will see the immense cataract of Wapama Falls thundering over 1,300 feet into the Hetch Hetchy, billowing up such an immense volume of spray that even though seeing the falls up close is easy, taking a picture is nearly impossible.  So much water descends Falls Creek in the spring time that the trail to the falls has to be closed because the bridges are over-topped by the booming stream as it cascades down below the falls.

Yosemite Falls, click for more

1. Yosemite Falls

As if there could be any doubt, Yosemite Falls is not only the best waterfall in California but arguably the best waterfall in the country (we’ll debate that topic at a later date).  With a cumulative drop of 2,425 feet Yosemite Falls is widely regarded as among the most significant waterfalls on the planet and features one of the tallest free-leaping drops in North America.  This waterfall was largely responsible for inspiring John Muir, James Hutchings, Lafayette Bunnell and many other early visitors to push for protecting Yosemite Valley.  It is an attractant of tens of thousands of visitors annually, and it maintains this regal stature and status despite the fact that it does not flow all year long.

While most of the waterfalls in the Spring Mountains are ephemeral in nature, not flowing for more than 3-4 months out of the year, some of them are considerably noteworthy given the fact that the landscape is essentially desert.  Big Falls, Little Falls and Mary Jane Falls in Charleston Canyon are among the most well known waterfalls in the state (largely due to the proximity to the Las Vegas metro area), though despite all three falls likely dropping over 100 feet, because they effectively only flow during snowmelt events, they are not at all well regarded outside of the immediate Las Vegas area.

The Ruby Mountains, on the other hand, harbors much greater potential.  Situated in the heart of the Great Basin and surrounded by desert (really, most of Nevada is) the Rubies actually receive a considerably amount of snow in the winter months, ensuring that the many streams which drain down from above flow for a consistent length of time.  In following, the best waterfalls in Nevada are found in the Rubies, though the region is so sparsely populated and rarely visited that there is very little documentation on exactly how many waterfalls may be found there.

Since we don’t have a great deal of information on the waterfalls in Nevada, we will not be posting a “best of” or “most interesting” list at this time, but it may come in the future as further research can be conducted.  But as a parting note, we’ll mention that perhaps the most interesting fact about the waterfalls in Nevada is that none of the waterfalls which occur within the state are found along streams which have above-ground outlets to the ocean.  The eight waterfalls known to occur in the Las Vegas area fall along streams which sink underground well before their respective streams can enter into tributaries of the Colorado River near Lake Mead.  But in all areas north of Las Vegas, all watercourses drains directly into the Great Basin and abruptly end there, with no outlet and in many cases not even a lake to show for it either.  So where does the water go?  Nobody knows for sure but it’s likely that much of it percolates underground and emerges in springs along the Colorado Plateau in Utah and the Columbia Plateau in Oregon and Idaho.

In addition to being bugged about the Top 100 list, we’ve had several inquiries about why we haven’t listed certain waterfalls.  First I want to reinforce that just because a waterfall isn’t listed on this website doesn’t mean we don’t know about it or that it won’t be listed on the website.  Our ultimate goal here is to catalog as many waterfalls on the planet as we possibly can, so if you don’t see it listed yet, please just be patient, it will be entered eventually.  But that “eventually” is the sticking point.  Right now there are basically two and a half of us working on this project, and none of us can focus on it full time because this website unfortunately doesn’t pay the bills (I’ll note here that if there are any affluent benefactors who would care to fund this project as a full time endeavor, we’d be more than happy to get this information online in a much timelier manor), so it takes time to compile and ready the haphazard piles of data we have lying around into the structured information we need for the database.  In short, we’re swamped.

But, the updates are coming, and I thought it might help levy some interest and / or anticipation about future updates if we posted a rough schedule of exactly what data is coming next.  Keep in mind this is tentative – as we’ve been working through our data, we’ve jumped from piece to piece as it became necessary.  But tentatively, our release schedule is looking something like this:

2012- United States, Canada

• March / April – Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and possibly New York
• May / June – Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Maine, Montana, (New York), Tennessee
• July / August – Manitoba, New Hampshire, Saskatchewan, Vermont, Wyoming
• Fall 2012 – Alaska, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ontario, Quebec, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
• Winter 2012 – Remaining US States, Labrador & Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Yukon

For 2013, we’ll probably begin heavy work on Europe and possibly Central and South America, as well as parts of Asia as it becomes prudent.  Some parts of these continents will go faster than others.  Countries outside of North America which harbor lots of waterfalls (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, etc) may take a considerably longer time to compile than smaller, less endowed countries (Greece, Poland, Sweden, etc), but we’re going to want to have a big chunk of Europe done by the end of next year, if not sooner.  Rest assured we want to get this all online as fast as we can, but we need to go over the data we’ve currently got with a fine tooth comb, because we’ve found in many cases it has been grossly inaccurate.  So stay tuned.  Lots and lots of new stuff is coming, but we ask that you be patient.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.