15 Magical Waterfalls in America That You Should Visit This Spring and Summer For a Dip or a Hike
WRITTEN BY 5 REASONS TO VISIT® EDITORIAL STAFF
PUBLISHED APRIL 2023 • 6 min read
There’s something about America's most beautiful waterfalls that makes them worth the chase, whether a road trip to a new destination or an overnight hike in one of country’s magnificent national parks. From stunning chutes of water jutting from tropical cliffs to gentle tumbles down the side of a glacier, here are the top 15 most beautiful waterfalls in America that should definitely make your bucket list.
Source: Getty Images
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1. Palouse Falls
LACROSSE, WASHINGTON
The highlight of Palouse Falls State Park is Palouse Falls itself. The Palouse River travels through a narrow gorge, which is gorgeous all by itself—before plunging two hundred feet over the edge and into a pool below. It’s the only waterfall of its kind in the area that’s a remnant from previous ice-age floods (the Missoula Floods), too, which means the scenery is entirely worth the drive.
Source: Washington State Parks
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2. Burney Falls
BURNEY, CALIFORNIA
The McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park landscape was created by volcanic activity as well as erosion from weather and streams. This region is surrounded by mountain peaks and covered by black volcanic rock. Burney Creek originates from the park's underground springs and flows to Lake Britton, getting larger along the way to the park’s majestic centerpiece, the 129-foot Burney Falls.
Source: California State Parks
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3. Toketee Falls
CLEARWATER, OREGON
The North Umpqua River has carved a sinuous gorge out of the lava, resulting in this 113-foot high waterfall known as Toketee Falls. Take a short 0.8 mile trail that ends overlooking the two-tiered falls. The upper falls drop about 40 feet while the lower falls plunge 80 feet over a sheer wall of basalt—truly a sight to be seen.
Source: United States Forest Service
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4. Kaaterskill Falls
LEEDS, NEW YORK
The crowning jewel of the Great Northern Catskills is the highest cascading waterfall in New York State—Kaaterskill Falls. The Kaaterskill Falls drops in two tiers over 260 feet, cascading into a turquoise-colored pool.
Source: Catskill Tourism
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5. Cumberland Falls
CORBIN, KENTUCKY
Cumberland Falls is one of the few places in the world that regularly produces a moonbow. The “moonbow,” also called a lunar rainbow, is formed similar to a rainbow when light is retracted in water droplets and appears as long as the sky is clear on either end of the full moon.
Source: Cumberland Falls State Park
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6. Havasu Falls
GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA
Havasu Falls is the most famous of the aqua-blue Havasupai Waterfalls that spill over deep-orange, travertine cliffs in a desert oasis of stunning beauty. The stark contrast between the arid desert landscape of the Havasu Canyon and the lush vegetation near the water is a juxtaposition of harsh desert and a sumptuous tropical paradise.
Source: Visit Arizona
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7. Multnomah Falls
TROUTDALE, OREGON
Plummeting 620-feet, Multnomah Falls is one of the tallest year-round waterfalls in the United States fed by an underground springs from Larch Mountain. The flow over the falls varies, but is usually highest during the winter and spring seasons. Six flows of Grande Ronde Basalt are visible in the fall’s cliff face, representing more than 400,000 years of geological history.
Source: Travel Oregon
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8. Union Falls
GARDINER, MONTANA
The Bechler region receives the highest amount of rainfall over Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres, making it primed with rivers, creeks, streams, and waterfalls. It is also referred to as the “Cascade Corner.” Union Falls is hidden in this oasis of geological wonders and is named after the converging forks of Mountain Ash Creek that combine to form this water giant.
Source: National Park Service
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9. Virginia Falls
MONTANA
Located in the center of Nahanni National Park, Virginia Falls is surrounded by an astonishing 30,000 km of protected and rarely explored Canadian wilderness, making this a timeless and dramatic spot to visit. The 315-foot drop generates a thunderous symphony of natural wonders, a phenomenon to experience.
Source: U.S. National Park Service
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10. Whitewater Falls
CASHIERS, NORTH CAROLINA
Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, plunging an amazing 400-feet. Whitewater Falls is a series of waterfalls and cascades on the Whitewater River in North Carolina and South Carolina. Over the 3.5 mile course of the river between the two falls, the Whitewater River drops 1,500 ft, and crosses the state border. In the cool, moist shade of the steep slopes and rock cliffs, wildflowers and salamanders abound—this wild land is also a perfect haven for a rich array of ferns, mosses, and fungi. Enjoy the beauty of berries and blooms throughout the seasons.
Source: U.S. Forest Service
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11. Bushkill Falls
BUSHKILL FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA
The “Niagara of Pennsylvania,” Bushkill Falls is among the Keystone State's most famous scenic attractions. This unique series of eight waterfalls, nestled deep in the wooded Pocono Mountains, is accessible through an excellent network of hiking trails and bridges which afford fabulous views of the falls and the surrounding forest.
Source: Bushkill Falls
12. Upper Mesa Falls
IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO
At Upper Mesa Falls, a thunderous curtain of water, as tall as a 10-story building—pours over remnants of an ancient volcanic super-eruption that spewed ash over much of the current United States. A mile south, Lower Mesa Falls repeats the performance; the river continually chiseling away at the solidified ash and lava. Some layers are more than a million years old. Today, Upper and Lower Mesa Falls are the last prominent waterfalls on the Snake River to resist human control.
Source: Caribou-Targhee National Forest Service
13. Calf Creek Falls
BOULDER, UTAH
The lower falls are 130 feet high, with a deep swimming hole underneath them. The entire creek is surrounded by greenery, but particularly underneath the spray of the waterfall. The lower falls are the most famous out of the two waterfalls on Calf creek. While the Upper Calf Creek Falls are 88 feet high, and though they do not have nearly the quantity of water spilling over the edge that the lower falls have, the waterfall is still an impressive sight to see.
Source: Visit Utah
14. Hamilton Pool Preserve Waterfall
DRIPPING SPRINGS, TEXAS
This fascinating recreation destination features a collapsed grotto with beautiful blue-green water, surrounded by awesome rock formations and also boasts a 50-foot waterfall. Hamilton Pool Preserve also has numerous hiking trails to enjoy year-round where you can spy rare plant species or birds such as Golden Cheek Warblers and Cliff Swallows.
Source: Visit Austin
15. South Fork Mineral Creek Falls
DURANGO, COLORADO
The falls drop a total of approximately 55-feet, the upper tier falling about 35-feet into a large blue pool, and then the lower tier dropping another 20-feet in a narrow gorge about 100-feet further downstream. The water is a deep turquoise as a result of the rock powder suspended in it that comes from glacier erosion over thousands of years. The blue water contrasts over the red riverbed rock, and in Fall, the yellow willows and shrubs add to the palette and provide plenty of photo opportunities.
Source: U.S. Forest Service
