Gold Run Falls

Gold Run Falls is one of the best waterfalls in the Nooksack River basin, occurring along the unnamed stream draining from the south side of Yellow Aster Butte and Gold Run Pass. The falls are situated immediately upstream from the Swamp Creek Road as it climbs to the Yellow Aster Butte trailhead, but without knowning where the falls are and what to look for, it is very easy to pass right by it (especially later in the year when the stream flow is lower). The falls consist of three distinct sections beginning with a very pretty and rather impressive 163-foot tall veiling horsetail. Immediately below this the creek accelerates down a narrow chute and slides over a 57-foot cascading fall, followed by a more jumbled and less photogenic 74-foot tall cascade which ends just upstream from the road below. The very bottom of the falls can actually be seen from the road, but several large trees obstruct direct views so without scrambling upstream there is no indication of exactly how big the falls really are. Despite the physically small size of the drainage basin on the south side of Yellow Aster Butte, this stream retains a fairly decent volume of water for as long as it is accessible in the warmer months. The Mount Baker area generally receives the heaviest winter snow fall in the state of Washington and especially during La Nina winters (such as 2010-2011) so much snow can accumulate that waterfalls such as this which would otherwise exhibit more seasonal characteristics may flow strongly straight through the late summer and autumn months. Under normal conditions this waterfall would be at its best form from late June through the middle of August and would be reduced to a trickle by October (though the rainy season usually begins by late October so there is another short window late in the season when it may be flowing well before the road is closed by the winter snow).This waterfall is not known to have ever held a name of colloquial or historic significance, so it has been titled after nearby Gold Run Pass by local waterfall hunter Aaron Young.