Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is the uppermost of the three major waterfalls found in the Covell Creek basin near Tower Rock in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Unlike nearby Angel Falls and Covell Creek Falls, Bridal Veil Falls is not visible from nor accessible via the Covell Creek Falls loop trail system, and as a result it doesn't get the attention that it would otherwise deserve. Covell Creek produces this waterfall as it streams down cliffs on the side of Burley Mountain in parallel to neighboring Angel Falls. The falls drop a total of 186 feet in three distinct steps over a run of about 350 linear feet. The uppermost tier is the largest, dashing 121 feet down a broad cliff in a zig-zag shape and framed with thick carpets of moss. The second tier is a cascading fall immediately below the first, tumbling 18 feet. The final tier, and the primary inspiration for the adopted name of this waterfall, veils a final 47 feet over a rounded cliff, spreading out in a broad fan shape, with a small semi-pothole near the base which causes a jet of water to shoot out from the face of the cliff in a forceful arc.
Covell Creek drains from a basin covering approximately two-thirds of a square miles above this waterfall, and extending from elevations of up to 5300 feet at the summit of Burley Mountain. Though the volume of water in the stream does become considerably reduced in the summer and early autumn months, it doesn't appear that the stream every dries out entirely. Note that for hikers beginning from the trailhead off of Forest Road 76 near the Cispus Center, the stream does sink into the ground well upstream from where it crosses under the road, so it may appear to be dry when that isn't truly the case. During the winter and spring months the stream can swell to fairly impressive levels, creating a swirling cloud of mist at the base of the falls.Greg Plumb chose to dub this waterfall Bridal Falls in the 4th edition of his Waterfall Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest book. Because the lower tier of the falls was clearly the impetus for the name, and because of its very distinct veiling nature, we've chosen to adapt the name to the more common vernacular of Bridal Veil simply because it's entirely too fitting.