Suiattle Falls

Suiattle Falls is an immensely tall chain of plunges, horsetails, and cascades along an unnamed stream which drains from the southwest portion of Suiattle Mountain north of Darrington. The total height of the falls is difficult to determine because the stream is heavily incised into a narrow ravine, but topographic data supports the idea that the entire chain drops around 800 feet. The largest individual section of the falls is fortunately the most accessible - a 294 foot drop which begins as an airy free-falling plunge that impacts on a ledge and then slides down a narrow chute with a second nearly-vertical plunge out of sight below. More of the falls can be seen collectively from across the Suiattle River valley along Forest Road, but due to the narrow confines of the ravine which the falls descent, it may be impossible to determine the true scale of the entire waterfall without either technical climbing experience, or the use of a drone-mounted camera. The small drainage basin and resultant low streamflow may also make it harder to survey the entire falls in the future. Views of the 294-foot portion of the falls are obtained via a user-constructed trail which climbs ridiculously steeply up along side the ravine harboring the falls. At some points scrambling on all fours is advised, and around the base of the falls the slopes are steep and potentially deadly in places. Visitors are advised to be quite cautious here, understanding that this is still effectively a bushwhack destination which has just seen some improvement to its route.Greg Plumb's Waterfall Lover's Guide books refers to the lowermost waterfall along this stream - found just upstream of the Suiattle River Road - as Suiattle Falls. Given that this is clearly the major waterfall of the creek, we felt it appropriate to shift the naming conventions accordingly.