Rachor Falls

Rachor Falls is the largest waterfall along Black Creek as it descends a steep, narrow and very precarious canyon down the northwest side of Mount Si on the Snoqualmie Tree Farm. The falls begin with a 51 foot plunge - which veils out broadly at high flow - into a deep pool, followed by a fall of 23 feet which tumbles under a logjam before the creek runs through a narrow flume and 50-linear feet later hurtles off the lip of a 237 foot nearly vertical plunging fall into the deepest part of the canyon, slamming into a protruding rock near its base and creating a large roostertail at the bottom of the falls in the process. For better or worse, Black Creek has been regulated in a small hydroelectric system which diverts the majority of the creek away from the canyon and the falls. A minimum release of 5 cubic feet per second is allowed to flow over the falls at all times, but occasionally the diversion is turned off and the falls flow with their full fury (moreso during the winter months). Unfortunately, as impressive as the falls are, access is anything but simple or safe. Until May 2008 only one person was known to have successfully photographed the falls and to date fewer than a dozen people are thought to have visited the falls with the intent of specifically documenting it. Considering how close this one is to the Interstate 90 corridor this speaks to its remoteness, but this is also due to the fact that one must ford the creek in order to see the main part of the falls clearly. Because the falls lie on the Snoqualmie Tree Farm, former Weyerhaeuser property which is now administered by Hancock Timber Management, access has never been an easy endeavor. Hancock allows motorized access on their lands only by purchasing an expensive access permit (which comes with a key to their gates). Until 2012 the public had been free to recreate via non-motorized means at any time, but starting in January 2012 Hancock will be charging a $75 annual recreation use fee for all forms of public access, motorized or non.The name of the falls stems from the misconception that the creek was titled Rachor Creek, after the lake it heads in. Rachor Lake (believed to be pronounced "Ray-chur") was named for Rachor Taylor, daughter (one of six children) of William Taylor, the founder of the city of North Bend. That the falls only hold the same title as the lake is no less appropriate however.