Fryingpan Creek Falls

Fryingpan Creek is a large tributary to the White River on the northeast side of Mount Rainier. It is not normally thought of as an area of the park to visit to find waterfalls, however tucked in several gorges along its length are several significant drops. The largest waterfall found along the creek is also the final fall - a thunderous two-tiered fall which drops a total of 115 feet. The upper tier consists of a rumbling cascade which accelerates down a chute incised in the bedrock, and the lower tier is a nearly sheer plunge of 81 feet in height where the creek rolls off a smooth lip and hurtles into a deep canyon a short distance away from the Wonderland / Summerland Trail. Unfortunately due to the shape of the canyon and the nature of the trees growing along its rim, there are no clear views which allow for the entire waterfall to be seen from any given location. The clearest view (illustrated in the attached pictures) results in the top 20-feet or so of the falls being obstructed by the adjacent cliff. Though it is somewhat surprising that this waterfall isn't more well known given how close it is to the popular trail to Summerland, the lack of views itself can be considered a deterrent to visitation.