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Yosemite Falls, a waterfall in CaliforniaPhoto: Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Featured guide · Updated June 2026

The Best Waterfalls in California

A curated, fact-checked tour of California's most notable documented waterfalls — from the 2,425-foot wall of Yosemite Falls to coastal tidefalls that pour onto the beach. Here is what makes each one worth the trip, how to reach it, and when it actually runs.

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Find a real waterfall worth the drive.

293 named U.S. waterfalls across 46 states — with documented heights, real maps and photos, access notes, and the best season to see each. Built from USGS place-name data and federal land-manager records, not guesswork.

Latest guides

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Multnomah Falls, a waterfall in Oregon
State & Place Guides

The Best Waterfalls in Oregon

Oregon hides hundreds of documented waterfalls, from the 620-foot tiers of Multnomah Falls to compact basalt gems in the high desert. This is a curated, fact-checked field guide to six of the most notable — what makes each worth the trip, how to reach it, and when it actually runs at its best.
Reese Calder · 9 min read
ʻAkaka Falls, a waterfall in Hawaii
State & Place Guides

The Best Waterfalls in Hawaii

A curated, fact-checked guide to five of Hawaii's most notable documented waterfalls — from the 442-foot plunge of ʻAkaka Falls to the helicopter-only Jurassic Falls — with honest notes on how to reach each one and when it runs best.
Reese Calder · 9 min read
Whitewater Falls, a waterfall in North Carolina
State & Place Guides

The Best Waterfalls in North Carolina

North Carolina's mountains hold thousands of documented waterfalls. This is a curated short list of five of the most notable — what makes each one worth the trip, how to reach it, and when it actually runs at its best.
Reese Calder · 9 min read
Bridal Veil Falls, a waterfall in Colorado
State & Place Guides

The Best Waterfalls in Colorado

A curated guide to five of Colorado's most notable documented waterfalls — what makes each one worth the trip, how to reach it, and when snowmelt has it running at full force.
Reese Calder · 9 min read
Comet Falls, a waterfall in Washington
State & Place Guides

The Best Waterfalls in Washington

Washington packs more documented waterfalls into one state than almost anywhere in the country — from a roadside 268-foot plunge near Seattle to a desert cataract carved by Ice Age floods. This is a curated, fact-checked tour of five of the most notable, with the real numbers, the real access, and the right season for each.
Reese Calder · 10 min read
Tahquamenon Falls (Upper Falls), a waterfall in Michigan
State & Place Guides

The Best Waterfalls in Michigan

Michigan's waterfalls are an Upper Peninsula story — fed by spring snowmelt and tannin-stained rivers draining the north woods. Here are five of the most notable, documented falls, what makes each worth the drive, and when they actually run.
Reese Calder · 9 min read
Lower Yellowstone Falls, a waterfall in Wyoming
State & Place Guides

The Best Waterfalls in Wyoming

Wyoming's best documented waterfalls cluster inside two national parks, where snowmelt off the Absarokas and Tetons powers everything from a 308-foot plunge to a roadside cascade. This curated guide covers the standouts worth planning a trip around — what makes each one notable, how to reach it, and when it actually runs.
Reese Calder · 8 min read
Yosemite Falls, a waterfall in California
Rankings

The Tallest Waterfalls in the United States, Ranked by Height

America's tallest documented waterfalls, ranked from a 2,425-foot giant down to the 300-foot range — with an honest accounting of why "tallest" depends entirely on how you measure.
Reese Calder · 9 min read
Bridal Veil Falls, a waterfall in Utah
Rankings

The Best Roadside Waterfalls You Can See Without Hiking

A dozen of America's most striking waterfalls sit within a few hundred feet of a parking lot or overlook — no boots required. Here are the ones worth pulling over for, from a 607-foot Utah cascade to the thundering rim of Niagara.
Reese Calder · 10 min read

Notable waterfalls

Tallest, ranked →
Yosemite Falls, a waterfall in California
California

Yosemite Falls

2,425 ft · Moderate hike · Yosemite Creek
Horsetail Fall, a waterfall in California
California

Horsetail Fall

1,570 ft · Short hike
Tokopah Falls, a waterfall in California
California

Tokopah Falls

1,200 ft · Moderate hike · Marble Fork Kaweah River
Crabtree Falls, a waterfall in Virginia
Virginia

Crabtree Falls

1,000 ft · Moderate hike · Crabtree Creek
Amicalola Falls, a waterfall in Georgia
Georgia

Amicalola Falls

729 ft · Short hike · Little Amicalola Creek
Multnomah Falls, a waterfall in Oregon
Oregon

Multnomah Falls

620 ft · Short hike · Multnomah Creek
Bridalveil Fall, a waterfall in California
California

Bridalveil Fall

617 ft · Short hike · Bridalveil Creek
Bridal Veil Falls, a waterfall in Utah
Utah

Bridal Veil Falls

607 ft · Roadside · Bridal Veil Falls Creek (Provo River tributary)

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Frequently asked

Frequently Asked Questions

Each waterfall starts from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) — the official register of U.S. place names and coordinates — and is paired with documented height, watercourse, managing agency, and access from National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and state-park records. Every page links back to its sources.

Most waterfalls run highest after spring snowmelt or heavy rain and can drop to a trickle by late summer. Each waterfall page lists a documented best-season window; for current conditions, check the USGS streamflow gage on the feeding stream and the land manager’s page.

Many are on public land managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, or state parks; some require a park entrance fee or, in a few cases, a permit. Each page notes the managing agency so you can check current fees and rules before you go.

Heights vary because sources measure different things — a single vertical drop versus a full cumulative cascade — and because remote falls are hard to survey. ChasingFalls uses the best-documented figure and notes uncertainty where it exists.

Waterfall names and coordinates come from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS); heights, access, and seasonal notes are compiled from NPS, USFS, and state-park records and USGS streamflow data. Photos are public-domain or Creative-Commons, credited on each page. Reported heights vary by source and measurement method — see our methodology.