Middle Big Creek Falls

Middle Big Creek Falls is the second in a series of four large waterfalls along its namesake creek as it plunges off of the Indian Heaven plateau into the Lewis River canyon. The falls occur at a secondary step on the initial drop off of the plateau where the stream is constricted into a narrow gorge, plunging a total of 135 feet in two steps separated by a large pothole-like pool. The upper tier plunges a clean 76 feet into the pool, and then the lower tier rolls over a broader ledge at its outlet, falling an additional 59 feet with a large undercut cavern behind the falls. Big Creek isn't exactly a small stream, and while it may not appear to be a huge watercourse where it crosses the Lewis River Road above Big Creek Falls (at least in comparison to nearby Rush Creek), it is big enough to escalate its various waterfalls to impressive scales during peak flow seasons. We surveyed the falls in early July when historic stream gauge readings suggest the streamflow hovers around 20-40 cubic feet of water per second, but have seen several photographs from those who have made the trek in during the winter or early spring months where the lower tier of the falls was 2-3 times as wide. Access to this waterfall requires extensive and difficult cross country travel and it is not recommended for any but the most heartily seasoned adventurers.This waterfall has no official name, but has been referred to by some as "The Trials" in a contrast to Tribulation Falls upstream.