Hike-in Required
No
ADA accessible
No
Guided tours
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

If you are in the area to visit Heather Lake or Triple Creek Falls, you won't regret a quick stop at Granite Falls Fish Ladder. The fish ladder that runs along the edge of the river doubles as a viewing platform. From here you can appreciate the incredible power these falls have generated over the years. Spring flows through this narrow section of river are thunderous, and the falls become a turbulent stretch of thrashing whitewater. If you visit at lower flows you'll see the evidence of this power in the riverbed's smooth and sculpted granite.

Incredibly, a 240-foot tunnel was blasted out of the granite to allow the fish to access the fish ladder. Built in 1954, the Washington Department of Fisheries constructed what was at the time the world's longest vertical baffled fish ladder (580 feet) to provide salmon with an opportunity to reach the 30 miles of river above the falls.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Powerful falls. Easy access. Impressive during spring flows. Near to other adventures.

Cons

Heavily modified landscape. Not ADA-accessible.

Pets allowed

Allowed

Features

Big vistas
Waterfalls

Location

Nearby Adventures

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
North Cascades, Washington

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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