Austin Creek Falls

The Austin Creek drainage on the back side of Lookout Mountain, just east of Bellingham, harbors a handful of surprisingly decent waterfalls - though none are obvious at first glance. Most of the falls in the area occur along tributary streams, but Austin Creek itself produces a very nice 47-foot tall horsetail type fall where it slides over an exposure of the Chuckanut Sandstone in a convex shape, with a small pothole located on one side of the falls near the top. A smaller lower falls is located about 200 feet downstream but can't be easily seen in conjunction with the main drop of the falls, so it has been (for now) not considered to be part of the falls. While Austin Creek isn't a major stream by any means, it is the largest drainage on Lookout Mountain, covering an area of about 1.8 square miles upstream from the falls. The area will receive significant precipitation from approximately October through May, which will ensure the stream flows at a healthy rate, but in the summer months expect the volume to be reduced considerably - though probably not to the point of drying out. The waterfalls of the Austin Creek area are likely all found on Private Property, however upon our last visit to the area there was no evidence that the public was not allowed to access the area. Please be respectful of the rights of the adjacent landowners, and do not disturb the area excessively (and of course pack out any trash you may bring in). If any indication is found that public access is not allowed, please leave the area.