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Kat Dierickx | 07.29.2015

Who doesn't love an incredible waterfall? We sure do. Particularly the ones you can visit. Unlike mountains with big vistas, waterfalls can be enjoyed rain or shine. In fact, heavy rains are a river's lifeblood that truly bring cascades to form, making soggy days the best days for exploration.

There are literally thousands of waterfalls in the U.S. West, and it's hard to pick favorites. Incredibly, roughly 70% of all the waterfalls in the U.S. are located within just two states, Oregon and Washington. The Pacific Northwest's consistent winter showers bring up to 240 inches of rain a year, and spring and summer snowmelt can keep river flows impressive year round. Unfortunately, many of the giants in the Pacific Northwest are completely unaccessible.

Elsewhere, massive falls drop out of the desert, such as the iconic 100-foot Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, or Emerald Pool Falls in Zion National Park, which has two distinct falls of 300 and 110 feet. And you can look to the Sierra for the nation's tallest single drop: Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 feet, which continues to awe us all.

We've developed quite a portfolio of incredible waterfalls based on our Contributor submissions from throughout the west, but there are still many we still have yet to feature. Nevertheless, here's a list of our top 100 waterfalls in the West including a few in the Canadian West, so strap on your waterproof boots or hiking sandals and hit the trail to one of these beautiful cascades. 

Comments

Is there a map showing all the locations?
Not on your list of falls, and a bit out of the way, but North Fork Falls on the north fork of the Sauk River is one of the more photogenic ones I've visited. It's a short but steep hike from the road down to the falls, and footing at the bottom can be treacherous, but the view of the falls is worth it. It's quite boisterous in spring and early summer, but the flow drops off in early fall so the spray isn't so bad. There's only parking for 2-3 cars, but it's not a hugely popular destination, so that's not usually a problem.

To get to the falls take the Mountain Loop Highway south from Darrington, WA, for about 15 1/2 miles (about 7 miles past the end of the pavement) to FR 49 (signed for the North Fork Sauk Falls trail). The turn will be on your left, and isn't terribly well marked, so watch for it. The trailhead is about a mile up FR 49 on the right.
How do you miss Lower Yellowstone Falls? Also, Yosemite's Nevada Falls? Too many glaring omissions on this list. If this were a list of basketball players, it would be like leaving out Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
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