Margaret Falls

With a total drop of around 1,350 feet Margaret Falls is the tallest waterfall in the southern half of Washington State. The falls cascade in 5-6 distinct steps down the massive cliffs lining the north side of the Cowlitz River valley near the toe of the Cowlitz Glacier on Mount Rainier. The first two tiers consist of back-to-back horsetail type falls of about 70 and 240 feet respectively, with the stream veiling outward in scenic fashion at the base of the second drop. Following the second drop, the stream flows through a narrow canyon for about 420 linear feet and drops about 100 feet in the process before reaching the top of the largest drop of the falls, which slides and veils down a huge 700-foot tall hourglass shaped horsetailing type fall which terminates with a free fall for its final 80-90 feet. After another short section of cascades, the creek then plunges a sheer 95 feet over the fourth tier, and then finishes off with a sliding cascade of an additional 49 feet before the creek tumbles down the alluvial fan into the barren valley below. Because of the sheer size of the falls, accurate measurements of most of the various sections of the falls have not been attainable during all of our surveys thus far - only the final two tiers have been conclusively measured at this point. LiDAR data however has provided accurate enough information about the falls to fill in the gaps until and unless better on-the-ground data can be obtained. The unnamed stream which produces Margaret Falls drains from a basin which covers about half of a square mile in area. Despite its small size, the high elevation (ranging from 6,000 feet to over 7,300 feet) promotes relatively long-term winter snow pack retention. A small snow drift on the lower end of Whitman Crest which partially feeds into the creek may in fact be permanent, which should ensure the falls retain at least a minor flow throughout the summer and autumn months. As long as there is seasonal snow melting in the basin however - which should last until mid to late August at the earliest - the stream will have a healthy flow.Margaret Falls was named after Margaret Hall, daughter of the first superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park Edward S. Hall. The falls appeared on maps published around 1914 and were photographed by both A.H. Barnes and R.L. Glisan around 1907-1910, so it is most likely that one or both photographers were members of the discovering party.