Little Niagara Falls

While perhaps the name is a bit overzealous in its comparison with the world famous giant below Lake Erie, Little Niagara Falls is a very fittingly named and very scenic waterfall. Tillicum Creek drains from the very northern edge of the Indian Heaven volcanic field and throughout the course of the stream are numerous intrusions of volcanic bedrock. Shortly above the falls the stream sheets across a wide smooth basalt formation for several hundred feet, then upon reaching the rim of the canyon the rock forms a broad horseshoe shape which causes the creek to enter the falls in a much wider veil. The right side of the 74 foot tall falls plunge straight down, while the left side spreads out over diagonally pitched rock, stretching the width of the falls to nearly 150 feet at its apex. While the falls lie only about 800 linear feet away from the nearest road, because of the narrow and steep nature of the canyon - as well as the thick forest - few people are aware of the presence of the falls, and the lack of developed access doesn't help the matter. Because of the steep terrain involved in accessing the falls, it is not recommended as a destination for those who do not have experience in off-trail travel through similar terrain.