Cora Falls

Located on the north side of Sawtooth Ridge near the Nisqually Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. Follow Highway 706 east from Ashford for about 2 1/2 miles to FR 52, signed for Big Creek and Packwood. Follow Road 52 for about 4 3/4 miles to FR 84 and turn right. Follow FR 84 for 4 miles to FR # 8420, and turn right. Proceed along Road 8420 for just under 1 1/2 miles to the Big Creek trailhead. Walk up the moderately steep trail for 1/4 mile to crossing of the creek, with the falls 100 feet upstream.Cora Falls is the most easily accessible of the smattering of waterfalls along the north side of Sawtooth Ridge. The falls, fed by modest Cora Lake, occur where Big Creek is condensed into a narrow flume and plunges into a crack no more than 4 feet wide before fanning out into a small pile of logs. The falls are quite scenic, surrounded by cliffs covered in mosses and ferns. The Big Creek trail crosses the creek - sans bridge - about 100 feet downstream of the falls and just above the upper tier of Lower Cora Falls (which could legitimately be considered an extension of Cora Falls itself thanks to the close proximity). As the trail climbs to Cora Lake it crosses the creek again below an upper tier of the falls which we have not yet been able to survey.