Best Waterfall Hikes 2026 | 274 Trail Guides & Maps

Best Waterfall Hikes at a Glance

This page lists 274 waterfall hikes from the Summit Seeker trail database, across 28 states. Summit elevations run from 40 ft (Alamere Falls) to 10,410 ft (Timberline Falls).

274 of the 274 routes have a distance we can quote from a published source. The shortest is Panther Creek Falls at 0.16 mi; the longest is Shining Cloud Falls at 17 mi. Elevation gain ranges from about 15 ft (Copeland Falls) to 3,900 ft (Mount Lafayette). Together the quoted routes add up to 798.1 miles of hiking. By their own ratings they break down as 57 easy, 33 moderate, 16 hard, 7 strenuous.

232 of the 274 guides name a specific trailhead or parking area; the others give the summit location and route line only.

By state: Oregon (22), New Hampshire (21), California (17), Montana (16), Washington (15), Maine (14), Virginia (14), Georgia (13), Massachusetts (13), Minnesota (13), North Carolina (13), Michigan (12), Tennessee (12), Colorado (10), South Carolina (10), New York (9), Vermont (8), New Jersey (6), Idaho (5), Maryland (5), Ohio (5), Kentucky (4), West Virginia (4), Alabama (3), Connecticut (3), Pennsylvania (3), Wisconsin (3), Rhode Island (1).

Figures are as recorded in each trail's own data and are planning estimates (≈ marks a figure estimated from the mapped track); confirm conditions and route length with the land manager before you go.

Route facts for the 40 highest summits

Trail	State	Summit	Route	Distance	Gain	Time	Difficulty	Trailhead
Timberline Falls	Colorado	10,410 ft	Loch Vale Trail	8.1 mi round trip	1,510 ft	—	Strenuous	Glacier Gorge Trailhead
Ouzel Falls	Colorado	9,540 ft	—	5.4 mi round trip	950 ft	—	Hard	Wild Basin Trailhead
Zapata Falls	Colorado	9,430 ft	—	0.9 mi round trip	237 ft	—	Easy	—
Alberta Falls	Colorado	9,410 ft	—	1.2 mi round trip	160 ft	—	Easy	Glacier Gorge Trailhead
Calypso Cascades	Colorado	9,220 ft	Wild Basin Trail	3.6 mi round trip	610 ft	—	Moderate	Wild Basin Trailhead
Horseshoe Falls	Colorado	9,020 ft	Alluvial Fan Trail	0.4 mi round trip	130 ft	—	Easy	East Alluvial Fan Trailhead
Fern Falls	Colorado	8,790 ft	Fern Lake Trail	5.2 mi round trip	700 ft	—	Moderate	Fern Lake Trailhead
Copeland Falls	Colorado	8,550 ft	Wild Basin Trail	0.6 mi round trip	15 ft	—	Easy	Wild Basin Trailhead
Adams Falls	Colorado	8,530 ft	East Inlet Trail	0.6 mi round trip	68 ft	—	Easy	East Inlet Trailhead
Tokopah Falls	California	8,040 ft	—	3.4 mi round trip	—	—	—	Lodgepole Campground (Marble Fork Bridge)
Bridal Veil Falls	Idaho	7,490 ft	trail from Stanley Lake Trailhead	7.4 mi round trip	600 ft	—	Moderate	Stanley Lake Trailhead
Rainbow Falls	California	7,380 ft	—	5.1 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Palisade Falls	Montana	7,360 ft	Palisade Falls Trail #433	1.2 mi round trip	—	—	—	Palisade Falls Trailhead
Panorama Trail	California	7,214 ft	Panorama Trail (Glacier Point to Valley)	8.5 mi one way	1,255 ft	3.5 hr	Hard	—
Lady Face Falls	Idaho	6,680 ft	trail from Stanley Lake Trailhead	5 mi round trip	300 ft	—	Moderate	Stanley Lake Trailhead
Ousel Falls	Montana	6,630 ft	—	1.6 mi round trip	—	—	—	Ousel Falls Trailhead
Rifle Falls	Colorado	6,620 ft	Coyote Trail	0.9 mi loop	116 ft	—	Easy	Rifle Falls Trailhead
Upper Yosemite Fall	California	6,526 ft	—	7.2 mi round trip	2,700 ft	6 hr	Strenuous	Sentinel Bridge Parking & Lookout
Chilnualna Falls	California	6,040 ft	—	8.2 mi round trip	2,400 ft	—	Strenuous	Chilnualna Falls Trailhead
Vernal Fall	California	5,900 ft	Mist Trail to Vernal Fall	2.4 mi round trip	1,000 ft	3 hr	Moderate	Happy Isles Trailhead, Yosemite Valley. Take free shuttle in summer
Nevada Fall	California	5,900 ft	Nevada Fall via Mist Trail	5.4 mi round trip	2,000 ft	5.5 hr	Hard	Happy Isles Trailhead, Yosemite Valley. Use shuttle in summer
Avalanche Lake Falls	Montana	5,850 ft	Avalanche Lake Trail	4.6 mi round trip	500 ft	—	Moderate	Avalanche Picnic Area
Illilouette Fall	California	5,810 ft	Panorama Trail	4 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Apikuni Falls	Montana	5,770 ft	—	2 mi round trip	700 ft	—	Moderate	Apikuni parking area
Woodbine Falls	Montana	5,730 ft	—	1.5 mi round trip	—	—	—	Woodbine Campground
Crow Creek Falls	Montana	5,700 ft	—	6 mi round trip	—	—	—	Jump Off Trailhead
Rockwell Falls	Montana	5,690 ft	South Shore Trail	7 mi round trip	375 ft	—	Moderate	South Shore Trailhead
Ptarmigan Falls	Montana	5,660 ft	Iceberg-Ptarmigan Trail	5.4 mi round trip	700 ft	—	Moderate	Iceberg Ptarmigan Trailhead
Graveyard Fields Upper Falls	North Carolina	5,320 ft	Upper Falls Trail	3.3 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Umbrella Falls	Oregon	5,300 ft	—	4.1 mi loop	840 ft	—	Moderate	Elk Meadows Trailhead
Comet Falls	Washington	5,300 ft	—	3.8 mi round trip	900 ft	—	Moderate	Comet Falls Trailhead
Mount Lafayette	New Hampshire	5,260 ft	Franconia Ridge Loop	8.9 mi loop	3,900 ft	5 hr	Strenuous	Lafayette Place Parking
Wapama Falls	California	5,230 ft	—	5 mi round trip	—	—	—	O'Shaughnessy Dam (Wapama and Rancheria Falls Trailhead)
Morrell Falls	Montana	5,160 ft	Morrell Falls National Recreation Trail	5.4 mi round trip	—	—	—	Morrell Falls Trailhead (Forest Road 4353)
Tumalo Falls	Oregon	5,120 ft	North Fork Trail	0.5 mi round trip	—	—	—	Tumalo Falls Trailhead
Redrock Falls	Montana	5,110 ft	Swiftcurrent Pass Trail	3.6 mi round trip	100 ft	—	Easy	Swiftcurrent Trailhead
Florence Falls	Montana	5,100 ft	Gunsight Pass Trail	9.8 mi round trip	975 ft	—	Hard	—
Running Eagle Falls	Montana	5,050 ft	—	0.6 mi round trip	—	—	—	Running Eagle Falls Trailhead
Chush Falls	Oregon	5,040 ft	—	5.2 mi round trip	435 ft	—	Moderate	Chush Falls Trailhead
Loowit Falls	Washington	4,950 ft	—	9.2 mi round trip	1,200 ft	—	Hard	—

Showing the 40 highest of 274 trails, sorted by summit elevation; every trail is listed by state below.

Route notes

Timberline Falls — 8.1 mi round trip via the Loch Vale Trail from Glacier Gorge Trailhead, 1,510 ft of elevation gain, rated Strenuous.
Ouzel Falls — 5.4 mi round trip from Wild Basin Trailhead, 950 ft of elevation gain, rated Hard.
Zapata Falls — 0.9 mi round trip, 237 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy.
Alberta Falls — 1.2 mi round trip from Glacier Gorge Trailhead, 160 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy.
Calypso Cascades — 3.6 mi round trip via the Wild Basin Trail from Wild Basin Trailhead, 610 ft of elevation gain, rated Moderate.
Horseshoe Falls — 0.4 mi round trip via the Alluvial Fan Trail from East Alluvial Fan Trailhead, 130 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy. Parking: A park pass is required..
Fern Falls — 5.2 mi round trip via the Fern Lake Trail from Fern Lake Trailhead, 700 ft of elevation gain, rated Moderate.
Copeland Falls — 0.6 mi round trip via the Wild Basin Trail from Wild Basin Trailhead, 15 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy.
Adams Falls — 0.6 mi round trip via the East Inlet Trail from East Inlet Trailhead, 68 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy. Parking: Entrance fees may apply..
Tokopah Falls — 3.4 mi round trip from Lodgepole Campground (Marble Fork Bridge).
Bridal Veil Falls — 7.4 mi round trip via the trail from Stanley Lake Trailhead from Stanley Lake Trailhead, 600 ft of elevation gain, rated Moderate.
Rainbow Falls — 5.1 mi round trip.
Palisade Falls — 1.2 mi round trip via the Palisade Falls Trail #433 from Palisade Falls Trailhead.
Panorama Trail — 8.5 mi one way via the Panorama Trail (Glacier Point to Valley), 1,255 ft of elevation gain, about 3.5 hr, rated Hard.
Lady Face Falls — 5 mi round trip via the trail from Stanley Lake Trailhead from Stanley Lake Trailhead, 300 ft of elevation gain, rated Moderate.
Ousel Falls — 1.6 mi round trip from Ousel Falls Trailhead.

Notes cover the 16 highest summits; every trail's own page has the full route.

alabama

Waterfalls

Best Waterfall Hikes at a Glance

Route facts for the 40 highest summits

Route notes

alabama

Cheaha Falls

Devil's Den Falls

Peavine Falls

california

Alamere Falls

Bridalveil Fall

Chilnualna Falls

Feather Falls

Illilouette Fall

Lower Yosemite Fall

McCloud Falls

McWay Falls

Vernal Fall

Nevada Fall

Panorama Trail

Rainbow Falls

Santa Ynez Falls

Sturtevant Falls

Tokopah Falls

Upper Yosemite Fall

Wapama Falls

colorado

Adams Falls

Alberta Falls

Calypso Cascades

Copeland Falls

Fern Falls

Horseshoe Falls

Ouzel Falls

Rifle Falls

Timberline Falls

Zapata Falls

connecticut

Blackledge Falls

Cotton Hollow Cascades

Kent Falls

georgia

Amicalola Falls

Angel Falls

Anna Ruby Falls

Cascade Falls (Pine Mountain)

DeSoto Falls

Dick's Creek Falls (Chattooga)

Dukes Creek Falls

Helton Creek Falls

Hemlock Falls (Cloudland Canyon)

Holcomb Creek Falls

Jacks River Falls

Keown Falls

Lula Falls

idaho

Bridal Veil Falls

Copper Falls

Elk Creek Falls

Grouse Creek Falls

Lady Face Falls

kentucky

Lick Falls

Tioga Falls

Vanhook Falls

Yahoo Falls

maine

Angel Falls

Dunn Falls

Gulf Hagas

Jewell Falls

Katahdin Stream Falls

Little Wilson Falls

Mariaville Falls

Mother Walker Falls

Moxie Falls

Orin Falls

Orris Falls

Pierce Pond Stream Falls

Step Falls