Waterfalls in Washington

Overview of waterfalls in Washington

Wallace Falls near Gold Bar and Franklin Falls near Snoqualmie Pass are forest hikes. Four falls are inside national parks. Sol Duc Falls and Marymere Falls are in Olympic National Park. At Mount Rainier, Myrtle Falls is a short paved walk from Paradise, and Narada Falls is a short, steep walk below a year-round parking area.

Spokane Falls runs through downtown Spokane, and Moulton Falls is a Clark County park near Yacolt. In Franklin County, Palouse Falls drops 200 feet into a canyon bowl, per Washington State Parks, and has been the official state waterfall since 2014.

The World Waterfall Database's tallest falls outside Hawaii, including Colonial Creek Falls at 2,568 feet, are in Washington's North Cascades. They are too remote for pages here, but our guide to the tallest waterfalls in the US covers them.

Washington uses several passes, and each one works only on certain land. The first section below sorts out which pass, park fee or free lot applies at each falls.

Which fee or pass applies where (2026)

Washington waterfalls on this site fall under four fee systems: the Discover Pass, the Northwest Forest Pass, national park entrance fees, and free or city-run sites.

Discover Pass (state lands): Washington State Parks charges $10 a day or $45 a year. The annual price rose from $30 to $45 on October 1, 2025, and the day pass stayed at $10. You need it at Wallace Falls, Palouse Falls and other state parks, plus WDFW and DNR recreation lands. One pass covers two vehicles, but only one at a time.

Northwest Forest Pass (national forest): Franklin Falls is a Forest Service trailhead, so the Discover Pass isn't valid there. The Forest Service lists a $5 day pass or a $30 annual Northwest Forest Pass, and Interagency (America the Beautiful) passes are accepted too. In snow season, the Forest Service says a Washington Sno-Park permit is required.

National park entrance fees: Olympic and Mount Rainier each charge $30 per private vehicle for 7 days, or $55 for a park annual pass. Olympic charges $15 per person on foot or bike, with ages 15 and under free. Mount Rainier charges $15 per person age 16 and older.

Both national parks are cashless at the entrances, though partner businesses near Mount Rainier sell the $30 pass for cash. WTA lists a park pass for the Marymere Falls trailhead, but we couldn't confirm whether a booth collects fees at Lake Crescent.

Free days: Both national parks and Washington State Parks listed Veterans Day, November 11, as a 2026 free day. The national park free days are for US citizens and residents.

Free or city-run: Snoqualmie Falls has no entry fee. The official site lists the lot by the upper deck at $7 per hour, and a free lot is across SR-202. Spokane Falls viewpoints are free, and only the SkyRide gondola charges. Clark County lists no parking fee at Moulton Falls; its 2026 $5 daily fee applies at four other county parks.

Waterfalls near Seattle

Snoqualmie Falls is 29 miles from downtown Seattle, by the official site's directions. It has no entry fee, and the upper viewpoint is a short, accessible walk from the upper lot.

Wallace Falls is in Wallace Falls State Park at Gold Bar, off US 2. Trail guides such as WTA list it as a 5.6-mile round trip to Upper Falls. State Parks says the lot is usually full by 11 a.m. on weekends.

Franklin Falls is off I-90 at exit 47, then 2.8 miles on Forest Road 58, per the Forest Service. The summer hike is 2 miles round trip, and the Forest Service rates it easy. Both pages give directions from Seattle.

Eastern Washington waterfalls

Two of the Washington falls on this site are in the east of the state. Palouse Falls in Franklin County drops 200 feet, per Washington State Parks, and has been the official state waterfall since 2014. It needs a Discover Pass, and trail guides such as WTA list the walk to the viewing areas as 1.0 mile round trip. All trails into the canyon and to the base are permanently closed.

Spokane Falls runs through downtown Spokane and is free to see from Riverfront Park, Huntington Park and downtown bridges. The optional Numerica SkyRide costs $13.95 for adults and $9.95 for youth 3 to 12, plus tax, as the City of Spokane listed it in October 2026.

Waterfalls in Olympic and Mount Rainier national parks

Four of the falls are in national parks, which each charge $30 per private vehicle for 7 days. In Olympic, Sol Duc Falls is about 1.6 miles round trip from the lot at the end of Sol Duc Road, per NPS. Marymere Falls is 1.8 miles round trip from Storm King Ranger Station on Lake Crescent.

At Mount Rainier, Myrtle Falls is 1 mile round trip on the paved Skyline Trail from the upper Paradise lot. Narada Falls is 0.4 mile round trip, with a 200-foot descent and climb back. NPS doesn't allow pets on any of these four trails.

Washington waterfalls without a long hike

Five of the Washington falls on this site can be seen without a long hike.

• Snoqualmie Falls: the upper viewpoint is a short walk from the upper lot, and the official FAQ says it is wheelchair accessible.
• Spokane Falls: free viewpoints in Riverfront Park, Huntington Park and on downtown bridges. Huntington Park has stairs, per Visit Spokane.
• Myrtle Falls: 1 mile round trip on a paved trail. NPS calls the route accessible with assistance, and a steep stairway leads to the best view.
• Moulton Falls: a short side trip off the path from the lot.
• Palouse Falls: trail guides such as WTA list 1.0 mile round trip with no elevation gain to the viewing areas.

Washington waterfall closures and conditions (Oct 2026)

As of October 2026, all ten Washington falls on this site are open, though Palouse Falls trails into the canyon are permanently closed.

• Sol Duc Falls: Sol Duc Road was open on the NPS road status page in October 2026. NPS says it often closes in winter for snow and ice, so call 360-565-3131 first.
• Marymere Falls: the Lake Crescent area and the trailhead were open per NPS conditions updated October 27, 2026. Storm King Ranger Station, Fairholme Campground and Log Cabin Resort are closed for the season.
• Myrtle Falls: open. Mount Rainier's park alerts on October 24, 2026 list no closure for Paradise or the Myrtle Falls route; the September 2025 construction closure no longer appears. Chains are required for all vehicles in Mount Rainier from November 1 to May 1.
• Franklin Falls: reachable by car in summer and fall. Open: the Forest Service trail page, updated August 31, 2026, posts no closure. In winter 2025-26, the Forest Service closed the Franklin Falls Sno-Park and closed Forest Road 58 to vehicles. As of October 28, 2026, we found no Forest Service notice for winter 2026-27.
• Wallace Falls: the Washington State Parks page listed no closures in October 2026. The only alert was a Level 2 burn ban, posted September 18, 2026.
• Palouse Falls: open for day use, but all trails into the canyon and to the base are permanently closed. A park alert posted October 6, 2026 says there's no potable water. A Level 2 burn ban, posted May 28, 2026, restricts wood fires to fire pits in designated areas; gas and propane are allowed. The page adds that charcoal may be restricted.
• Snoqualmie Falls: open daily, sunrise to sunset, per the official site. As listed in October 2026, the official FAQ says the hiking trail to the lower deck is open. In high water the river can run alongside the lower boardwalk, so check conditions before you plan around the lower deck.
• Spokane and Moulton Falls: open. City of Spokane pages show Riverfront Park open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight with no closure posted. Clark County's Moulton Falls page listed no alerts or closures on October 28, 2026, with posted hours of 7 a.m. to dusk. The city listed SkyRide evening events on October 1 and 2, 2026, but no general 2026 schedule, so check with the city.

Swimming and safety at Washington waterfalls

Moulton Falls is the only falls on this page with an official rule allowing swimming. Clark County says it's at your own risk with no lifeguards, warns of swift currents and cold water, and recommends life jackets. Diving and jumping from the arch bridge are prohibited.

At Snoqualmie Falls, the official site says going past the end of the boardwalk is unsafe. At Palouse Falls, Washington State Parks prohibits going beyond the designated viewing areas and trails. At Sol Duc Falls, a hiker slipped on rocks at the top and fell over the falls in June 2025. NPS warns of high snowmelt flows and slick cliffs there. In winter, Franklin Falls sits at the base of an avalanche chute, and WTA strongly discourages entering that area.

Parking, crowds and dogs at Washington waterfalls

Parking fills early at Wallace Falls and Mount Rainier, and NPS bans dogs on all four national park falls trails.

• Arrive early at Wallace Falls. State Parks says the lot is usually full by 11 a.m. on weekends, and it offers a live parking camera. Don't park on the narrow county road to the entrance.
• Plan around Mount Rainier crowds. NPS advises arriving before 7am or after 4pm, visiting on weekdays and having a backup destination.
• Leave dogs home for the national parks. NPS bans pets on Mount Rainier trails and the Sol Duc trails. At Lake Crescent, only the Spruce Railroad Trail allows them.
• Or plan a longer hike. Wallace Falls is the longest summer hike. Trail guides such as WTA list 5.6 miles round trip to Upper Falls, with about 1,300 feet of gain. In winter, Franklin Falls can grow to about 7 miles round trip when its road is gated.
• Catch Spokane Falls in spring. Flow peaks with snowmelt, and Visit Spokane singles out May.

Washington waterfalls FAQ