Lower Rock Creek Falls

Lower Rock Creek Falls is a long series of semi-smooth cascading type falls found where its namesake creek breaks into the valley of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. The falls top a total of approximately 250 feet in a linear run of perhaps 600 feet, with the largest individual section of the falls, the final drop, falling somewhere between 125-150 feet on its own. The falls begin with a 20-foot plunging fall, and then almost immediate revert into a long stretch of sliding cascades, with each tier becoming taller than the last. The final drop sees the creek split into as many as three parallel channels which chute down a broad cliff face in sync before merging at the base of the formation - during periods of low flow the stream will revert to just a single channel. Unfortunately because of the thick forest surrounding the falls, only fleeting glimpses of the upper half of the falls seems to be possible. The only clear views which were found during the initial survey of the site were at the very top and very bottom of the formation. Rock Creek is a moderate size stream which drains from a basin of approximately 2.6 square miles in size above this waterfall. The basin features five lakes, including Snow Lake, one of the largest in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and rises to elevations over 6,200 feet on Chair and Kaleetan Peaks. Though Snow Lake is far and away the largest source of water in the basin, the other four lakes contribute significantly to the flow of the stream. The high elevation of the basin, and its position close to the Cascade Crest also ensures heavy winter snow pack which typically lasts well into the summer months. This all ensures that the falls flow strongly into the summer, and on average are not considerably reduced in volume until mid to late August.