Scenic Falls

The area around Stevens Pass is quite popular with tourists and skiers, so one would assume that easy to reach destinations such as this would be better known. Yet, every day, thousands of people drive past this waterfall, completely oblivious to the fact that exists. Though it isn't located right next to Highway 2, it's very easy to get to, and is quite pretty. Scenic Creek flows down an unassuming valley, and shortly before merging with Surprise Creek, to the south, its waters pass beneath a high-tension line clearing, and veil down a gorgeous 113 foot waterfall. One would think, that with the power lines right above, the falls wouldn't be terribly photogenic, yet the mossy gorge is very pretty, and the falls are situated so that you almost have to want to see the cables above in order for it to become a nuisance. Shortly below the falls, it appears that there is some sort of crumbled dam structure, with a siphon drawing off a small part of the creek. I suspect this had to do with the nearby railroad, or possibly a mine claim. It doesn't appear to be in use any longer, but just to be safe, please don't mess with it.The falls were marked by name on a 1935 map of the Skykomish Recreation Area published by the National Forest Service. Evidently the Forest Service didn't keep track of this name once US 2 was constructed and the falls were sort of forgotten. Additionally we've seen an old postcard possibly dating back as far as the early 1900s that labeled this waterfall as Surprise Falls. It's unclear whether this name was in use before Scenic Falls, it could have been applied incorrectly as Surprise Creek is the adjacent drainage.