Marmot Creek Falls

Marmot Creek sources in several small snowfields in Seattle Park below what's left of the Flett Glacier on the northwest flank of Mount Rainier. Though not a terribly large stream, it is the largest tributary to Cataract Creek, itself one of the major tributaries of the Carbon River within the National Park. As Marmot Creek makes its final descent to join Cataract Creek it plunges over a series of waterfalls into an impressive gorge. The second-to-last fall, or set of falls, is a group of three back-to-back horsetail style drops which total 121 feet in height. The upper tier pours through a narrow gap in the streambed and falls down in a crevice of fractured bedrock for 67 feet, followed immediately by a 17-foot fall before the creek makes a sweeping bend around a promontory in the canyon wall. The final fall veils another 43-feet in a very scenic display which is unfortunately partially obstructed by a log very inconveniently wedged across the gorge. There is unfortunately no way to achieve a clear view of all three tiers collectively due to the shape of the gorge and the steep slopes around the falls.