Name of Waterfall

Madison Falls

Description

Madison Creek Falls can be found immediately adjacent to the Elwha Valley Entrance Station to Olympic National Park, 2 miles south of Highway 101 along Olympic Hot Springs Road.Madison Falls is the easiest waterfall to access in the Elwha River corridor. A 200 foot-long paved path leads to a porch view of the 76-foot waterfall splashing into a small pool. Park Service literature has quoted the falls at being over 100 feet tall, which is likely just a poor estimation of the falls. There is known to be a second waterfall on Madison Creek, potentially substantially taller than this one, access to which appears to be neither easy or obvious.
Though up against some tough competition in Sol Duc Falls and Wolf Creek Falls, Madison Creek Falls are one of the most photogenic waterfalls on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula. During the winter months when the surrounding trees are bare, the scene doesn't present itself very well, but when the oak and maple trees around the falls have leafed out by late spring, the greenery is some of the most vibrant around.We should note that Greg Plumb's Waterfall Lover's Guide books have always referred to the falls as Madison Creek Falls, while the National Park Service recognizes the feature as just Madison Falls. Early documentation seems to favor the later name.

Other Names

['Madison Creek Falls']

Magnitude

17.52

IWC Rating (International Waterfall Classification)

0

Total Height (ft)

76

Tallest Drop

76

Number of Drops

1

Average Width

5

Maximum Width

15

Average High Volume (Cubic ft per second)

15 cfs (9 months)

Average Low Volume (Cubic ft per second)

3 cfs (3 months)

Pitch

81 degrees

Run (ft)

20

Watershed or Feeder Stream

Elwha River Madison Creek