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Myths, Misconceptions and Misinformation
about the World's Waterfalls

 

Over the last several years, our research has led us to hundreds of previously undocumented waterfalls around the world. Many of these we know very little about. Conversely, there are many waterfalls which appear to have been widely documented and reported in various sources. It is these waterfalls which most often draw question from us. Misconceptions regarding waterfalls are both varied and abundant, and almost exclusively focus on height. Many countries, states, or regions exert some questionable claim with regard to height of a nearby waterfall. Regional emotions certainly come into play, and more often then not, various tourism related entities (local Department of Commerce, etc) are responsible for these fallacies. Clearing up these misconceptions is likely to be a time consuming activity, even the issue of where to start is quite unclear in many situations. On this page, we are addressing the most common occurrences of such errors. As we learn more, this page will be updated. Lesser known inaccuracies will be shown under the information for each respective waterfall in the database.

 

Topics Covered:

Tallest Waterfalls East of the Rocky Mountains / Mississippi River
Tallest Waterfalls in the United States & (n)th Tallest Waterfall in the United States
Tallest Waterfall of Canada & (n)th Tallest Waterfall in Canada
Tallest Waterfall of Australia Myths
Tallest Waterfalls of Europe Myths
Waterfall-specific Myths

 

Tallest Waterfall East of the Rocky Mountains / Mississippi River Myths:

This is one of the most commonly disputed topics on this page. There have been no less than 10 waterfalls that have been claimed as the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Now, first, to define the region we're discussing, we're talking about east of the bottom of the eastern slope of the Rockies, not waterfalls east of the Continental Divide, so waterfalls just on the eastern side of the Continental Divide don't count.

Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee, dropping 256 feet, has been regarded as the tallest single drop east of the Rockies. However, that claim is shot down by Buckeye Falls, also located in Tennessee, which is said to drop about 475 feet, and North Carolina's Hickory Nut Falls, which drops 404 feet over a rounded cliff.

When it comes to the tallest overall drop, there have been even more claims. Upper Whitewater Falls in North Carolina, dropping 411 feet in two distinct steps, is widely claimed as the tallest waterfall east of the Rockies. However, it is one upped by another fall in North Carolina, Windy Falls, which is a 1/4 mile long series of cascades, dropping 729 feet.

Amicalola Falls in Georgia, also dropping 729 feet, easily beats out Raven Cliff Falls, South Carolina's oft-cited candidate for the title of tallest east of the Rockies. We, however, believe the heights for both of the aforementioned waterfalls have been exaggerated. Amicalola Falls has a vertical drop of no more than about 300 feet, and we're hard pressed to call Raven Cliff anything more than 320 feet.

Moving farther North, we've got Taughannock Falls in New York, which as been called the tallest of that state, the tallest in New England, and the tallest east of the Mississippi. All three claims are wrong. New York's Inspiration Falls, dropping about 350 feet, is thought of as the tallest in New York. As for New England, Dryad Falls (300 feet), Giant Falls (350 feet) and the Beaver Brook Cascades (1,000 feet) in New Hampshire, Smugglers Falls (886 feet) in Vermont, and Katahdin Falls (800 feet) in Maine all stand well above Taughannock.

Other waterfalls in more low-lying states have often been claimed as the tallest east of the Rockies as well. Big Manitou Falls, Wisconsin’s tallest, at a whopping 165 feet, has been said to be both the tallest east of the Rockies, and the 3rd tallest east of the Mississippi River. Obviously, somebody was a little overzealous in that claim.

While some of those waterfalls do have a moderately valid claim, most claims are fueled by regional emotion and favoritism, and probably a little bit by various tourism institutions. To the best of our knowledge, the title of tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains belongs to both New Hampshire's Beaver Brook Cascades, and Virginia's Crabtree Falls. Both waterfalls drop approximately 1,000 feet in about 2/3 of a mile.

 

 

Tallest Waterfall of the United States/ (n)th Tallest Waterfall in the United States Myths:

The United States might be the biggest hotbed of inaccurate information regarding waterfalls, due to the excessive publicity that the most well known waterfalls receive. There are two specific myths we’ll focus on in this section. The first is the Tallest Waterfall of the Country.

Yosemite Falls, in California’s Yosemite National Park, at 2,425 feet tall, is widely thought of as the tallest waterfall in the United States. However, there is at least one waterfall in Washington State, Colonial Creek Falls, which likely stands taller than Yosemite Falls. Official measurements have yet to be made, but Colonial Creek Falls may stand a full 150+ feet taller than Yosemite Falls. There are other locations in Washington which may also harbor similar waterfalls, which need to be explored.

Outside of the Lower 48 States, there are more cases. Alaska is one of the largest undocumented regions in the world, regarding waterfalls. Considering the substantial glaciation which occurs in Alaska, it’s reasonable to postulate that there are many waterfalls exceeding 2000 feet tall.

Hawaii, however, holds several waterfalls which are known, for sure, to drop further than Yosemite Falls. Olo’upena Falls, at 2953 feet, Pu'uka'oku Falls at 2756 feet, both located on the northern shore of Molokai, and Waihilau Falls, at 2600 feet, located in the Waimanu Valley on the Big Island, all stand taller than Yosemite Falls. Both Olo’upena and Pu’uka’oku Falls lie on very small streams, and only appear to flow during the rainy season, but Waihilau Falls appears to retain some level of flow for most of the year. None of these waterfalls, however, hold a candle to Yosemite Falls, or those in Washington or Alaska, in terms of volume or grandiosity.

The second myth we’re highlighting in this section is the commonly disputed “nth” Tallest Waterfall in the Country. A list of the tallest waterfalls in the United States is available here, for comparison, and to see where some of these waterfalls fall.

Yosemite Falls, as mentioned above, is commonly referenced as the tallest in the country. In reality, it is no more than 5th tallest in the country.

Oregon’s Multnomah Falls is commonly cited as being either the 2nd or 4th tallest waterfall in the country, as well as the 2nd tallest Year long waterfall in the country. None of these claims are accurate. Dropping a total of 611 feet, Multnomah Falls may not even be the tallest waterfall in Oregon. As of now, we are aware of at least 30 waterfalls in Washington State, at least 30 in Hawaii, at least 15 in California, at least 7 in Montana, at least 4 in Alaska, one in Arizona, one in New Mexico, one in Georgia, one in Maine, one in Vermont, one in New Hampshire, and one in Virginia, all which stand taller than Multnomah Falls. Any way its cut, this is purely regional emotion.

Similarly, California’s 640 foot Feather Falls is commonly said to be the 4th tallest in the country. This is odd, because we’ve already established that Yosemite is commonly said to the tallest, and Multnomah Falls is commonly said to be the 4th tallest, which leaves just one empty spot on the top 4 list to be filled by over 70 waterfalls. Clearly, there is some half-assed research going in. In addition to this, Washington’s Fairy Falls, dropping about 700 feet, is widely claimed as the 5th tallest in the country. Now, how a 640 foot waterfall can be thought of as being taller than a 700 foot waterfall is beyond our comprehension.

 

 

Tallest Waterfall of Canada / (n)th Tallest Waterfall in Canada Myths:

This section will be a little more ambiguous than the previous, because much of western Canada is not as heavily documented as necessary to define the true tallest waterfalls in the country. We’ll start out again, with the tallest of the country myths.

The Canadian Government identifies British Columbia’s Della Falls, dropping 1443 feet on Vancouver Island, as the tallest waterfall in Canada. In reality, chances are, it’s not even the tallest waterfall on Vancouver Island. Also situated on Vancouver Island is Kiwi Falls, which may or may not, pending an accurate measurement, drops a little less than 1600 feet, with a possible additional 300 feet further downstream. There are also several unnamed, but significant volume waterfalls at the head of nearby Woss Lake, which are thought to drop between 1300 and 1500 feet each.

This is, however, just scratching the surface. Western British Columbia is by far the most rugged part of Canada, and we suspect contains as heavy a concentration of waterfalls as does Norway’s west coast. Most of the big waterfalls in BC aren’t named, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t significant. Alfred Creek Falls, near Powell River, dropping nearly 2300 feet, is the tallest waterfall which we’ve recorded in Canada thus far. We are aware of an additional 11 waterfalls within Canada which stand taller than Della Falls, but wouldn’t be surprised if there are more than 100.

The second myth we’re highlighting in this section is the commonly disputed “nth” Tallest Waterfall in the Country. A list of the tallest waterfalls in Canada is available here, for comparison, and to see where some of these waterfalls fall.

British Columbia’s Hunlen Falls is usually seen occupying the number 2 spot on Tallest of Canada lists. The falls drop 1226 feet in a single plunge, and though among the country’s tallest, the explanation regarding Della Falls clearly shows that Hunlen isn’t nearly the second tallest in the country.

Takkakaw Falls, in Yoho National Park, on the western edge of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, is one of the best waterfalls in all of North America, with a total drop of 1248 feet. With a single plunge of 854 feet, Takkakaw Falls is usually seen at the number 3 spot, followed shortly by Helmcken Falls, located in Wells Gray Provincial Park, at number five. Helmcken Falls drops 462 feet, so already, we’re seeing a significant discrepancy in height. This is mainly because the other tall waterfalls of Canada are largely unknown.

Rounding out this section is the oft-cited Panther Falls, which usually takes up the number 4 spot on this list. We differentiate this particular waterfall for good reason. The Canadian Government (specifically the Canadian Geographical Names Database), as well as many encyclopedias throughout the last several decades, commonly list Panther Falls as dropping 600 feet. The actual height of Panther Falls is closer to 200 feet. We believe the origin of such an outlandish discrepancy comes from one of the two following situations. A) Located about 1/3 mile downstream of Panther Falls is Nigel Creek Falls, which also drops about 200 feet. Taking that, along with the change in elevation between the two waterfalls, into account, Nigel Creek may, in fact, lose 600 feet of elevation. B) The more likely of the two situations. About 300 feet downstream from the base of Panther Falls lay Bridal Veil Falls, along a tributary stream. Bridal Veil Falls drops over 1500 feet from the mountain above, but the final 600 feet or so is the most significant. It’s possible that the heights for Panther Falls and Bridal Veil Falls were mixed up at one time or another.

 

 

Tallest Waterfall of Australia Myths:

While we aren't nearly as familiar with the waterfalls of Australia as we are with the waterfalls of North America, we have come across several instances that prove we have a much better grasp on how Australia's waterfalls stack up.

Possibly the most outrageous error is the mismeasurement of Piemans Falls. Piemans Falls had been cited as dropping 2,346 feet, making it the tallest in Australia. However, after a little research, and talking with some knowledgeable waterfall enthusiasts from down under, we've concluded that Piemans Falls drops 234.6 meters, or 769 feet. Time's 2004 World Almanac erroneously cited the wrong figure in it's list of the World's Tallest Waterfalls, and apparently couldn't correct it prior to the publishing deadline, so hopefully this entry will help clear the confusion.

Regarding the true Tallest Waterfall of Australia, this is how it breaks down. The most commonly cited cases include Tin Mine Falls, which is said to drop 1381 feet, Wallaman Falls, at 1137 feet, Wollomombi Falls, at 1392 feet, and Ellenborough Falls, at 525 feet. Obviously Ellenborough Falls is ousted by the previous three waterfalls, but it is commonly listed because of easy access.

Tin Mine Falls might have a valid claim at the title; however, not having ever seen a picture, we can't confirm anything at the time. The falls are said to have been measured with a plumb line in 1994, arriving at the figure mentioned previously, so if this is true, Tin Mine is certainly a contender.  Topographic maps seem to suggest that the falls really aren't more than about 600 feet tall, unless they aren't a sheer drop, and consist of almost a mile's length of low-gradient cascades.

Wallaman Falls is one of the most well known of Australia's major waterfalls. The falls have a total drop of 1137 feet, with a single plunge of 915 feet. This single drop is thought to be the tallest single drop in the country, but, as mentioned above, if Tin Mine Falls is indeed, a single drop of over 1300 feet, then Wallaman doesn't get either title.

Wollomombi Falls is probably as well known as Wallaman Falls, though the big issue here is confusion surrounding the falls' height. The falls drop a total of about 1392 feet, with a single drop of 853 feet. The single drop has, like Wallaman, been claimed to be the tallest in Australia, but unlike Wallaman, Wollomombi Falls is often cited as consisting of just the single drop, when in reality, there is an additional 500 feet of cascades in the gorge upstream.

We had seen evidence that the true tallest waterfall in Australia is Marengo Falls in New South Wales. The falls reportedly drop 2100 feet, and are located in the same canyonous area where Wollomombi Falls are located. However, we have been told the falls are actually 62 meters tall, rather than 640, so this was likely a case of a misplased "0" rather than anything else. So then this means Wollomombi Falls and Tin Mine Falls are probably the two contenders for Tallest Waterfall of Australia.

 

 

Tallest Waterfalls of Europe Myths:

This section will be broken down a little differently. The first section will break down the claims as to the tallest waterfall in Europe, and the second section will cover claims on a per-country basis, in the name of simplicity and space saving.

There are a handful of waterfalls which are commonly given the nod as being the tallest waterfall in all of Europe. Most of these are often referenced because they are popular tourist draws, and are easy to access.

Starting off, we’ll discuss claims as to which waterfall in Europe has the tallest individual drop. Staubbach drops a sheer 984 feet in the famous Lauderbrunnen Valley in Switzerland. While the falls are quite impressive, there are other waterfalls in the same valley which are taller, which immediately closes the book on this case.

Norway’s Vettisfossen drops a sheer 902 feet, in a similar fashion as Staubbach, but as mentioned before, Staubbach stands a full 80 feet taller than Vettisfossen, so Vettisfossen would then be relegated to second place. Finally, also in Norway, Feigefossen, drops 751 feet, which has also been claimed as the tallest waterfall in Europe, stands well below the heights mentioned above.

The above mentioned falls are popularly cited because they are easily accessible, but there are at least two additional waterfalls in Europe which should be on this list. Spain’s Salto del Nervión drops 882 feet, and effectively bumps Feigefossen out of third place from the above mentioned selection. However, the tallest freefalling waterfall which we are aware of in Europe is Kjeragfossen. The falls are said to flow all year long, but don’t exhibit a large volume. What they lack in volume, however, is made up in height, as the falls plunge over 2300 feet down the wall of the Lysefjord.

When it comes to overall drop in Europe, we see many more candidates, which are again compounded by popularity and ease of access, among other things.

Starting off, two of Switzerland’s waterfalls; Staubbach and Giessbach have been claimed as being the tallest waterfall in Europe. We’ve already disproved the claim of Staubbach in the above section. Giessbach, located in the same region as Staubbach, drops a total of about 1283 feet, though no individual section of the falls stands over 200 feet tall.

France’s entry for this section is the Grande Cascade de Gavarnie, or Gavarnie Falls. Dropping 1384 feet, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the tallest waterfall in France. This probably accounts for some of the claims to the falls being the tallest in Europe.

Austria’s tallest and most famous waterfall, the Krimmler Wasserfälle, is among the best in Europe, but at a total height of 1248 feet, and having a tallest individual drop of 492 feet, it stands well below the tallest of the continent.

Though widely unknown, and largely dependant on seasonal precipitation, an unnamed waterfall in Slovenia, which we list on this website as Slapovi Levo Savice, is said to drop just under 2000 feet down a mountainside riddled with limestone caves and tunnels. Though still not the tallest in Europe, this waterfall immediately puts all previous claims out to pasture.

Moving on to Norway, the Mecca of European Waterfalls, there are three waterfalls often claimed as being the tallest in Europe. As already mentioned, Vettisfossen, dropping 902 feet, is well below the other waterfalls which have been outlined, but it gets recognition because of its popularity with tourists.

Next up is Tyssestrengene, the height of which has been in dispute for quite some time. The most commonly seen figure is 2795 feet, but study of topographic maps show this to be an impossibility. Our best estimates place it at about 2120 feet, with the tallest single drop at around 1082 feet.

Besting this, but still not claiming the title, is one of the most famous waterfalls in Norway, the Mardalsfossen. Dropping 2154 feet in two steps, it is widely claimed as the tallest waterfall in Northern Europe, all of Europe, and among the top 5 in the world.

Kjelfossen, stretching even taller, at about 2477 feet, has been widely claimed to be 2755 feet tall, but we believe that figure has been overblown, and is inaccurate, and 2477 feet is a much more reasonable figure.

The true tallest waterfalls in Europe are in Norway, but aren’t any of the previously mentioned. The Balåifossen is the tallest waterfalls which we have mapped to date, dropping approximately 2788 feet, with Strupenfossen and Ramnefjellsfossen, at 2690 and 2685 feet respectively, at second and third place.

 

 

Waterfall-specific Myths:

Dudhsagar Falls
India

Up until very recently, we had assumed that Dudhsagar Falls stood 1968 feet tall, but had always had a nagging feeling, based on the pictures we’ve seen, and that the falls were much smaller than that. A recently uncovered picture of a sign leading to a viewpoint of the falls states that the total drop is 1017 feet, not 1968 feet. We don’t know where this figure originated from, but it has long been the only figure we’d ever seen on the internet, or in any encyclopedia, and usually when only one figure is available, it propagates as adopted “fact” much quicker than if there were multiple conflicting figures.

Espelandsfossen
Norway

We know of three waterfalls in Norway by the name Espelandsfossen. None of them drop anywhere near 2000 feet. The largest of the three drops about 500 feet, the other two don’t appear to be over 300 feet tall. There are two possible reasons for this large of a discrepancy.

One; in Norway, the majority of electricity generation comes from hydroelectric facilities. The Hydropower Industry uses a system of measuring potential output of a given stream, termed Meters of Head. This is essentially a measurement of elevation between the intake, and turbines. Should the Espelands River be harnessed for hydroelectric production, it’s possible that the commonly cited figure of 2307 feet comes from a measurement of Meters of Head, which is often not an accurate measurement of the waterfall itself, because cascades above and below could be included.

Two; the name Espelandsfossen has been applied to a waterfall by the name of Skrikjofossen, which drops about 1500 feet in two steps. When the cascades below the main part of the falls are taken into account, the total drop exceeds 2000 feet. We believe that this is the more likely situation, but even if correct, the height is still wrong.

Multnomah Falls
United States

Two claims are often attached to Multnomah Falls, stature, those being that Multnomah Falls is the 4th tallest waterfall in the United States, and that Multnomah Falls is the 2nd tallest year-round waterfall in the United States. To address the first claim, Multnomah Falls might not even be the tallest waterfall in Oregon, let alone the United States. This list says it all. You'll find Multnomah Falls somewhere around # 125.

As to the second claim, see the previous paragraph. It's absolutely ludicrous to us that it could be assumed that a 600 foot waterfall is second to a 2400 foot waterfall in a country the size of the US. Both of these myths have been perpetuated by the tourism industry, and fact finders who don’t do their homework.

Niagara Falls
United States / Canada

Niagara Falls is probably the most famous waterfall on the planet. It is understandable, then, that there must be some pretty egregious claims about the falls. First up is the claim that Niagara is the tallest waterfall in the United States. This erroneous tidbit of information usually stems from a) a lack of information, and b) the fact that people who visit Niagara Falls are justifiably awed by its size and force. The tallest waterfall in the United States is over 25 times as tall as Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls has also been claimed as the biggest waterfall in the world. Niagara Falls is the biggest waterfall, by volume, in North America, but it is nowhere near the biggest in the world. Again, this bit of misinformed babbling stems from both a lack of information, and the first impression the Niagara makes. This list sorts out the issue.

Opofossen
Norway

Opofossen is one often seen on many “World’s Tallest” lists as dropping 2,133 feet. The falls on the Opo River, while collectively dropping over 2000 feet, appear to have individual names applied to different sections of falls, so we’re not sure whether calling the whole series one waterfall is valid.

The Opo River possesses a series of waterfalls, however, at least two of them are individually named, those being Rjukanefossen and Bjornabyksefossen. It is possible that Opofossen was a name given to the collective series of waterfalls on the Opo River, but if that is the case, we’ve never seen any evidence to back up such a theory, which leads us to option number 2:

Another waterfall in the drainage, Skrikjofossen, drops down a sheer 2-step waterfall immediately next to the waterfalls of the Opo River, and has been cited as being over 2,000 feet tall (in reality, it's closer to 1,500 feet tall). It is conceivable that someone may have though it to be Opofossen, since it is the most obvious and accessible of the waterfalls in the drainage basin.

Piemans Falls
Australia

For several years, we had believed that Piemans Falls stood 2,346 feet tall, the tallest in Australia, simply because we had only seen one figure citing the falls as 2,346 feet tall. Several years later, we were contacted by person who confirmed that the falls were NOT 2,346 feet tall, but rather 234.6 METERS, or 769 feet, tall. Just goes to show how important a decimal point can be.

To illustrate how this kind of erroneous information propagates, pick up the 2004 Time World Almanac, and look for their list of the World's Tallest Waterfalls. You'll see Piemans Falls cited as being 2,346 feet tall. The source? The predecessor of this website, the list of the World's Tallest Waterfalls on Waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest. The editors of the Almanac likely didn't become aware of the corrected error in time to meet publishing deadlines.

Sutherland Falls
New Zealand

Sutherland Falls has two myths attached to its name. The first claim is that it is the tallest waterfall in New Zealand. Now, when a 1904 foot waterfall ISN’T the tallest waterfall in a country, you better bet there are some great waterfalls around. Besting Sutherland Falls in height, but not necessarily impressiveness, are Browne Falls, at 2744 feet, and Bluff Falls, which we have only seen reference to (so we can’t back up this claim), at 1968 feet. Sutherland Falls, is, however, the best waterfall in the country which we are aware of.

The second claim is that Sutherland Falls is the 5th Tallest waterfall in the world. As this list shows, it comes in around 54th tallest in the world.

Triberg Wasserfalle
Germany

The Triberg Waterfalls are commonly called the tallest waterfall in Germany. With a total vertical drop of 496 feet, the falls stand over 1000 feet shorter than the true tallest waterfall in Germany, the Rothbachfall. The Triberg Waterfalls are much more well known, and are much easier to access, so it is understandable where the erroneous information came from, but it is naïve to assume that a waterfall under 500 feet tall is the tallest in a country with mountains such as the Alps.

Vernal and Nevada Falls
United States

Two of the most famous waterfalls in the United States also have two of the largest instances of incorrect information attached to them. Virtually every data source available lists Vernal Falls as 317 feet tall, and Nevada Falls as 594 feet tall. Apparently nobody ever thought to challenge these figures, despite the topographic maps showing them to be a physical impossibility. This is worked out as follows:

Vernal Falls has a sheer plunge of approximately 200 feet, followed be a section of steep boulder cascades. We are unsure how far downstream the river must flow to lose another 117 feet in elevation, but wouldn’t be surprised if it was all the way to the footbridge 1/5 of a mile downstream of the falls.

Nevada Falls, we can’t figure out where the figure of 594 feet came from in the first place. The maps clearly show a drop of about 420 feet, but both above and below the falls, there is nowhere else where the river could lose the remaining 174 feet. The only possible explanation is that the falls were measured from the brink to the inlet of the Emerald Pool, over 1/3 of a mile downstream. The inlet of Emerald Pool is a waterfall itself, called the Silver Apron, which drops about 60 feet in all, but can it in no way be considered part of Nevada Falls.

Yosemite Falls
United States

Yosemite Falls is thought of as being the tallest officially measured waterfall in North America, at 2,425 feet. There are, however, several other waterfalls which may be taller. First and foremost is Washington's Colonial Creek Falls, which though not yet measured, could stand a full 159 feet taller than Yosemite Falls, at 2,584 feet. There are also a handful of waterfalls in southwestern British Columbia which may end up being taller than Yosemite Falls, none of which are named, or have been documented, however.

 

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