How we work
Editorial policy
Every fact on this site comes from a cited source, usually the agency that manages the waterfall. Each page lists those sources in a Sources section and carries the date we last checked its facts. This policy covers every waterfall page, state guide and planning guide on the site. For a shorter overview, see about The Waterfall Guide.
Pages are written and checked by The Waterfall Guide editorial team. We use a house byline rather than individual author names; see Who edits the site.
Sources
Most facts come from the agency that manages the waterfall. That can be the National Park Service (NPS), the US Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a state park or state DNR, a county, a city, a tribe or a private operator.
Facts are cited inline, next to the claim. Every page also ends with a Sources list. Distances and maps use OpenStreetMap. River flow charts use USGS gauge records.
Verification and dates
The "last verified" date is the date we last checked that page's facts against its sources. It is shown on the page and in the "Checked" stamp.
We don't re-check pages on a fixed schedule. We re-check a page when we learn of a change, such as:
- an agency alert
- a reader report
- a seasonal opening or closure
Because each page shows how old its check is, you can judge for yourself how current it is. For anything time-sensitive, confirm on the agency's site before you go.
Status labels
The status is what we found on the agency's site on the verified date. We use five labels:
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Open | Open, according to the agency on the verified date |
| Seasonal | Open only part of the year |
| Partly open | Some trails, areas or viewpoints are closed |
| Closed | Closed, according to the agency on the verified date |
| Unconfirmed | We could not confirm the current status or a key fact from an official source |
We use "Unconfirmed" so we can say what we don't know instead of guessing.
Search-engine excerpts
Some facts come from a search-engine excerpt of an official page, not the page itself. When that happens, the page says so in a note above its sources.
Treat those facts as less certain and confirm them on the official site.
Heights and conflicting figures
When sources disagree on a waterfall's height, we show both figures and name each source. We don't pick one and hide the other. Whitewater Falls is one example.
Height and other physical facts may come from Wikipedia or the World Waterfall Database, and each figure is cited.
River flow charts
A page shows a monthly-flow chart only when a gauge from USGS Water Data meets all three of these tests:
- It is on the same stream as the waterfall.
- It has at least 10 complete years of data.
- It is close enough. That means at or near the falls, or up to 15 miles downstream with no dam, weir or lake between them.
The chart shows the seasonal pattern of flow, not live flow. Right now 32 pages have one.
Photos
The site has no photos of its own. We only use photos with a free license (Creative Commons) or in the public domain. Most come from Wikimedia Commons, plus public-domain photos from the National Park Service.
Every image credits the photographer and license. The full list is on the photo credits page. We check each photo by eye to make sure it shows the right waterfall. We never use AI-generated images to show a real place.
Who edits the site
The site is published under a house byline, "The Waterfall Guide editorial team." Pages don't carry individual author names, and no named persona stands in for the team.
The team uses AI tools to research agency pages and draft text. A person reviews the status, fee and closure facts against the official agency page before a page goes live, and approves every update. When an agency site blocks automated access, that person reads the page directly and the text is checked against it.
How we use AI
We use AI tools to help research agency pages and draft text. These rules apply to every page:
- Every fact must trace to a cited source. A fact that can't be traced is removed or labeled unconfirmed.
- Each page gets a separate review pass before publishing. That pass checks claims against the sources and flags anything unsupported.
- AI is not used to create photos of real places.
- Readers can report errors. See Corrections below.
No visits or reviews
We don't publish star ratings or reviews. We don't claim first-hand visits. Pages describe what agencies and public records say, not personal trip reports.
Safety
We don't encourage leaving trails, crossing barriers, climbing on falls, or swimming or jumping where it's not allowed. Read our waterfall safety page before you go.
Corrections
If you find an error, email hello@thewaterfallguides.com or use the contact page. Please include:
- the waterfall
- what changed
- an official link, if possible
We check the report against the official source. If it's confirmed, we fix the page and move its "last verified" date.
Independence and money
No affiliate links are active today, and no agency or operator pays to be listed. If affiliate links are ever added, each one will be labeled next to the link and explained on the affiliate disclosure page.