Maple Falls

Motorists driving along the Stevens Canyon Road in Mount Rainier National Park may (or may not) notice the unusual volcanic dike which runs parallel to Stevens Creek along the south side of the canyon. This formation makes up the south wall of Stevens Canyon for almost its entire length, but it also serves as a retaining wall to prevent Maple Creek from joining with Stevens Creek where it comes down from Stevens Peak. As a result, Maple Creek males a mile-long detour to flow around the dike, and in doing so it loses elevation much more gradually than neighboring Unicorn Creek (which produces Martha Falls). Maple Falls represents the final step which the stream makes as it descends around the dike to join Stevens Creek. The falls drop for a sheer 59-feet over an undercut cliff formed of Andesite, with the steep slopes running down from Stevens Peak terminating right above the falls. The surrounding terrain promotes frequent avalanches in the winter, so the trees which grow around the falls are almost entirely Vine Maple and Alder rather than coniferous, and as a result the setting feels considerably less attractive than some of the other waterfalls in the immediate area. But making up for that fact, directly opposite and adjacent to the falls is a massive, cathedral-like cliff of andesite featuring perhaps the best example of Columnar Jointing in the entire Pacific Northwest (or if not, then certainly among the top 5). The cliff stretches some 350 feet in height and near a quarter mile in width, and displays a multitude of different sizes of columns and pillars - some sections of which are undercut as much as 100 feet - be wary of falling rocks if you visit.