Lower North Fork Falls

Lower North Fork Falls is the second and larger of the two major waterfalls found along the North Fork Sauk River in the Bedal area along the Mountain Loop Highway. The falls occur just downstream of the end of the gorge below North Fork Falls, dropping over the remainder of the step in the valley which the river must surmount to join with the South Fork further downstream. The falls drop a total of 67 feet in two distinct steps; first a small but broad fall of 8 feet, followed shortly by the big drop of 59 feet. Unlike North Fork Falls just upstream which explodes outward from its cliff and plunges freely into the basin below, Lower North Fork Falls slides down the cliff in full contact with the bedrock, however due to the size of the river the force of the water entering the pool is no less violent and the powerful falls eject at least as much spray as its upstream sibling (if not more). The North Fork Sauk River drains from an area of approximately 70 square miles which features several small lakes as well as the Price, Sloan Peak, and Cadet Glaciers. The volume of the river can fluctuate considerably through the year, ranging from as much as 1,400 cubic feet per second during the peak of snow melt season in early July to just one tenth of that volume in the early spring and late autumn months when little snow melt takes place. Despite this wide range of flow, the river will retain a consistent flow throughout the year allowing the falls to be viewed under acceptable conditions at any time (as long as the roads are accessible).Though North Fork Falls located just upstream has been officially named, there doesn't seem to be any record of this waterfall having been given a name at any point. Considering how significant the falls are and the amount of prospecting which took place in the area in the late 1800s, it would be rather surprising if this waterfall was never named, but thus far no evidence of such an action has been found.