We are proud to present what we believe to be the best 100 waterfalls in the United States! This list is based upon a mix of personal experience and a thorough review of dozens of internet sites and most of the waterfall guidebooks that have been published in the US over the last 25 years. Although we have visited only about twenty of these waterfalls personally, all of them are widely regarded as one of the most impressive waterfalls in America.

The list below is organized alphabetically by state. It is too hard for us to classify which ones are our very favorites because they are all so beautiful. Rest assured that every single one of these waterfalls is absolutely outstanding. We will tell you that the most extensive collections of remarkable waterfalls in the country can be found in (a) Yosemite National Park in California, (b) Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and (c) the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon.

PICTURES WANTED!
We'd absolutely love to add your photographs to this page if we are missing one. Please send us an email with your pictures if you are willing to share. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Enjoy!

Waterfall Name State Park Access Notes
DESOTO FALLS Alabama DeSoto State Park Short Walk may be Alabama's tallest falls; approximately 100-foot plunge; other waterfalls exist in this state park
LITTLE RIVER FALLS Alabama DeSoto State Park Roadside may be Alabama's most powerful falls; 60-foot block; other waterfalls exist in this state park; popular swimming hole
NOCCALULA FALLS Alabama Noccalulu Falls State Park Roadside believed to be the most popular falls in the state; 95-foot plunge in open, park-like setting
BROOKS FALLS Alaska Katmai National Park Short Walk waterfall isn't impressive in itself, but the dozens of grizzly bears that feed here are; go either (1) late-june to mid-july or (2) late-august to mid-September to see the highest concentration of bears
NORTHLAND FALLS Alaska unknown Boat requires using boat or taking an organized cruise to view these falls I believe; water falls hundreds of feet off a massive glacier
DEER CREEK FALLS Arizona Grand Canyon National Park Backpacking Trip very difficult backpack in the Grand Canyon; gorgeous desert-oasis; 100 feet tall; can also be reached by hike from rafting trip; swimming hole
HAVASU FALLS
(picture)		 Arizona Havasupai owned land Backpacking Trip one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world; requires permits and either a (1) 10-mile hike each way or (2) a helicopter ride; many campsites near the falls (permits & reservations required); combined with Mooney Falls, these waterfalls offer one of the world's premier swimming hole destinations, if not the absolute best
MOONEY FALLS
(picture)		 Arizona Havasupai owned land Backpacking Trip downstream from amazing Havasu Falls; requires permits and either a (1) 10-mile hike each way or (2) a helicopter ride; many campsites near the falls (permits & reservations required); combined with Havasu Falls, these waterfalls offer one of the world's premier swimming hole destinations, if not the absolute best
CEDAR FALLS Arkansas Petit Jean State Park Roadside/Hiking Trail "one of the most photographed, powerful and beautiful waterfalls in AR"; roadside overlook or short hike to base; best-known falls in Arkansas
TWIN FALLS (TRIPLE FALLS) Arkansas Boy Scouts of America (Camp Orr) Short Walk sometimes called "Triple Falls" since there are often three plunges instead of two; "one of the most scenic and easiest waterfalls to get to (in Arkansas)"
ALAMERE FALLS California Point Reyes National Seashore Hiking Trail 40-foot tall waterfall lands on a beach; one of only two such "tidefalls" in California (the other is McWay Falls)
BRIDALVEIL FALLS California Yosemite National Park Roadside one of Yosemite's tallest and best waterfalls; 620 feet tall; very popular attraction in Yosemite Valley; arrive early in the AM (before 8 or 9am) to get one of the extremely limited parking spots
BURNEY FALLS California McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial SP Hiking Trail a wall of streaming water, some of which appears to leak out of the side of the earth; very unique and an impressive 129 feet tall
FEATHER FALLS California Plumas National Forest Hiking Trail one of the tallest waterfalls in California; about 650 feet tall; consistently rated a "10" by guidebook authors and critics
ILLILOUETTE FALL California Yosemite National Park Hiking Trail an excellent waterfall with views along the way to the falls; partially obstructed view of falls from trail, but still one of Yosemite's best falls
MCWAY FALLS
(picture)		 California Julia Pfiefer Burns State Park Short Walk not the most impressive of waterfalls since it is so slender and has weak flow, but it is located in one of the most gorgeous coastal settings in the world
NEVADA FALLS
(picture) 		California Yosemite National Park Hiking Trail one of the most gorgeous waterfalls in the country; close to Vernal Falls; can be seen on a challenging hike trip to Half Dome by taking the Mist Trail from the Happy Isles trailhead
RAINBOW FALLS
 California Devil's Postpile National Monument Hiking Trail access via east side of the Sierras; 101ft plunge; several hiking options, including trails that visit the "postpile" (columnar basalt)
VERNAL FALLS
(picture) 		California Yosemite National Park Hiking Trail one of the most gorgeous waterfalls in the country; close to Nevada Falls; can be seen on a challenging hike trip to Half Dome by taking the Mist Trail from the Happy Isles trailhead
YOSEMITE FALLS
(picture) 		California Yosemite National Park Roadside probably the most famous waterfall in the USA; tallest waterfall in North America; a staggering 2,425 feet tall; best water flow is from May to June; a nice national park lodge exists near the base of the falls
BRIDAL VEIL FALLS Colorado Uncompahgre National Forest Roadside Telluride area; may be state's highest waterfall at over 350 feet; at least one house is directly adjacent to the top of the falls, so the falls are not as wild as they once were
NORTH CLEAR CREEK FALLS Colorado Rio Grande National Forest Roadside 100-foot tall powerful horsetail in fully exposed terrain; probably Colorado's most scenic waterfall
KENT FALLS
(picture) 		Connecticut Kent Falls State Park Roadside several tiers of waterfalls; tallest waterfall in CT; great picnic/family spot; short but steep hiking trail visits upper falls
AMICALOLA FALLS Georgia Amicalola Falls State Park Roadside one of the tallest waterfalls on the East Coast; height varies based on source, but likely to be in excess of 600ft tall
TOCCOA FALLS Georgia Toccoa Falls College Short Walk 186-foot tall gorgeous plunge; located on a college campus; flooding risk
AKAKA FALLS Hawaii Akaka Falls State Park Short Walk Big Island; may be the state's tallest plunge at 442ft; one of Hawaii's best waterfalls
MOAULA FALLS Hawaii privately owned Hiking Trail 250 feet tall; requires permission to enter land; hiring a guide is recommended as trails are not maintained well; a phenominal swimming hole
OPAEKAA FALLS Hawaii Wailuku River State Park Roadside Big Island; 151-foot segmented horsetails; flows over basalt; 40-feet wide; access is no longer allowed to the swimming hole, which was a popular spot in the past
RAINBOW FALLS Hawaii Wailuku River State Park Short Walk Big Island; surrounded by tropical foliage; 80-foot plunge
WAILUA FALLS (Kauai) Hawaii Wailua Falls State Park Short Walk Kauai Island; segmented powerful falls; one of the state's most popular; 200ft tall
WAIMOKU FALLS Hawaii Haleakala National Park Hiking Trail Maui Island; 400-foot tall thin horsetail; fantastic photographs from the base of the falls
FALL CREEK FALLS Idaho unknown Short Walk scenic exposed waterfall that lands in the Snake River; wide-open and panoramic location; 60-foot fanning waterfall
PERRINE COULEE FALLS Idaho unknown Short Walk near Twin Falls; nearly 200-foot tall plunge
SHOSHONE FALLS Idaho Shoshone Falls Park Roadside 212-foot tall, 1000-foot wide massive waterfall; one of the most powerful waterfalls in the country; other good waterfalls are nearby
UPPER MESA FALLS Idaho Targhee National Forest Short Walk beautiful 114-foot tall block-style waterfall; also known as "Big Falls"; 300ft wide
CUMBERLAND FALLS Kentucky Cumberland Falls State Park Short Walk 68 foot famous falls; one of the most popular state parks on the east coast; displays "moonbows"; 125-feet wide
YAHOO FALLS Kentucky Big South Fork NR/NRA Short Walk most likely the state's tallest falls; 113-foot plunge
MOXIE FALLS
(picture) 		Maine Moxie Falls Scenic Area Hiking Trail near the town of The Forks; 90-foot plunge plus additional cascades; swimming hole at base of falls in low water conditions only; wild, deep-forest setting; lots of mosquitos; most often visited by those on whitewater rafting trips (Kennebec and Dead Rivers)
GREAT FALLS OF THE POTOMAC Maryland Great Falls Park Short Walk on the MD-VA state line; 76-foot total drop, but tallest is only 35ft; wide, powerful scene; falls lack character but present a bold statement on huge river
BASH BISH FALLS
(picture)		 Massachusetts Bash Bish Falls State Park Hiking Trail unquestionably the best waterfall in Massachusetts; 80-foot total drop; water splits into two sections by a mighty boulder; trailheads in both NY and MA; hundreds or even thousands visit on weekends; visit in April, May or June for best water flow
LAUGHING WHITEFISH FALLS Michigan Laughing Whitefish Falls Natural Area Hiking Trail considered by many to be the best waterfall in Michigan; 2.3 mile hike each way; northwestern Michigan; 100-foot total drop
TAHQUAMENON FALLS (UPPER FALLS) Michigan Tahquamenon Falls State Park Short Walk probably the most powerful and popular in state; 50 feet tall and about 200 feet wide
HIGH FALLS (BAPTISM FALLS) Minnesota Tettegouche State Park Hiking Trail 70-foot plunge; several waterfalls in the area; one of the tallest waterfalls in Minnesota
PALISADES FALLS Montana Palisades Falls Picnic Area Hiking Trail 80-foot falls over basalt tower; fantastic in high water; near Bozeman
ARETHUSA FALLS
(picture) 		New Hampshire Crawford Notch State Park Hiking Trail the most dramatic waterfall in New England; 120-160ft tall (the actual height is quite contested); gorgeous horsetail accessed on moderate hiking trail
ITHACA FALLS New York Ithaca Falls Natural Area Roadside 130-foot horsetail in area loaded with waterfalls ("Ithaca is Gorges!"); owned by the city of Ithaca
KAATERSKILL FALLS New York Catskill Park Hiking Trail best waterfall in the Catskill Park; 260ft two-tier falls; one of the tallest waterfalls in the Northeast
LETCHWORTH FALLS STATE PARK New York Letchworth Falls State Park Roadside/Hiking Trail the most impressive and famous is the Middle Falls, but the lower and upper falls are excellent too
NIAGARA FALLS
(picture) 		New York Niagara Falls State Park Roadside famous worldwide; includes all the falls there (i.e. American Falls, Horseshoe Falls, etc.); Canadian side of falls is actually more interesting with better views, however it is much, much more touristy
TAUGHANNOCK FALLS New York Tahughannock Falls State Park Roadside 215ft drop in spectacular setting; one of the tallest single-drop falls in the Northeast
CRABTREE FALLS North Carolina Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area Short Walk these falls only received an "8" per the North Carolina Waterfalls book, but I think it holds much more promise than that; one of the best fan-type waterfalls in the Southeast; stunning under optimal conditions and will photograph well
RAINBOW FALLS (HIGH FALLS) North Carolina Nantahala National Forest Hiking Trail "10" per the North Carolina Waterfalls guidebook; 150-feet tall; one of many falls on Horsepasture River; trail access may be via Gorges State Park now
WHITEWATER FALLS (UPPER FALLS) North Carolina Whitewater Falls Scenic Area Short Walk "10" per the North Carolina Waterfalls guidebook; NC-SC state line; these 400ft falls are more impressive than the nearby lower falls, which are actually located in South Carolina
BRANDYWINE FALLS Ohio Cuyahoga Valley National Park Short Walk probably the most famous falls in Ohio; 60-foot tall fan
TURNER FALLS Oklahoma Turner Falls State Park Roadside one of the classic swimming holes of the country; 77-foot tall segmented horsetail; shelter caves; extremely popular
ELOWAH FALLS Oregon Columbia Gorge Natural Scenic Area Hiking Trail one of the tallest falls in Oregon at 289 feet tall; photogenic plunge
LATOURELL FALLS
(picture) 		Oregon Guy W. Talbot State Park Short Walk stunning waterfall in high water; just down the street from Multnomah Falls; drops off overhanging basalt cliff; 249ft tall
ONEONTA FALLS (LOWER FALLS) Oregon Columbia Gorge Natural Scenic Area Hiking Trail/Bushwhack requires short bushwhack to this fantastic thin plunge; estimated 100-feet tall; other waterfalls above and below this one
MULTNOMAH FALLS
(picture) 		Oregon Columbia Gorge Natural Scenic Area Roadside/Hiking Trail one of the best and most famous falls in North America; 620ft two-drop scenic falls separated by attractive bridge; one of dozens of outstanding waterfalls in the area
PONYTAIL FALLS Oregon Columbia Gorge Natural Scenic Area Hiking Trail one of the easier waterfall hikes in the Columbia Gorge area; you can walk behind these falls; 75ft tall; located right above Horsetail Falls and east of Multnomah Falls
PROXY FALLS Oregon Willamette National Forest Hiking Trail one of the most beautiful fan-type waterfalls in Oregon; photographed extensively; 200 feet tall
PUNCHBOWL FALLS Oregon Columbia Gorge Natural Scenic Area Hiking Trail one the waterfall-infused Eagle Creek Trail, which is one of the best day hikes in the country; one of the most photographed falls in the US
RAMONA FALLS Oregon Mt. Hood National Forest Hiking Trail beautiful 100-foot fan; photographers love to take slow-motion shots of portion of falls; one author says "most beautiful fan in Oregon"
SALT CREEK FALLS Oregon Willamette National Forest Short Walk 286ft plunge; beautiful forested setting; photographs exceptionally well
SOUTH FALLS Oregon Silver Falls State Park Hiking Trail one of ten waterfalls on one single day hike; several waterfalls can be walked behind; one of the best waterfall infused day-hikes in the entire country
TRIPLE FALLS Oregon Columbia Gorge Natural Scenic Area Hiking Trail triple-segment waterfall; 125ft tall; many other fantastic waterfalls nearby
TUNNEL FALLS Oregon Columbia Gorge Natural Scenic Area Hiking Trail on the waterfall-blessed Eagle Creek Trail, which is one of the best day hikes in the country; trail goes behind waterfall through tunnel; 175-feet tall
BUSHKILL FALLS Pennsylvania Bushkill Falls Park Short Walk/Hiking Trail at least seven waterfalls in the immediate area; several other waterfalls on optional loop trail; arguably the most beautiful falls in the state
DINGMAN'S FALLS Pennsylvania Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area Short Walk popular tiered waterfall; 130 feet tall
RAYMONDSKILL FALLS
(picture) 		Pennsylvania Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area Short Walk probably the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania at 165ft; several tiers of falls
RICKETTS GLEN STATE PARK Pennsylvania Ricketts Glen State Park Hiking Trail there are over 20 waterfalls on a 3.5 mile loop; one of the most dense collections of waterfalls in the country; some consider this the best day hike in the state
RAVEN CLIFF FALLS South Carolina Caesars Head State Park Hiking Trail 400-foot tall set of tiered plunges; one of the tallest waterfalls in the Southeast
WHITEWATER FALLS (LOWER FALLS) South Carolina unknown Hiking Trail "most spectacular waterfall in the Southeast" per one source; NC-SC state line; don't miss the upper falls as well which are located just over the border in North Carolina
SPEARFISH FALLS South Dakota Spearfish Canyon Foundation Hiking Trail Black Hills area; owned by a private foundation that allows public access; 80ft plunge; 3/4 mile gravel trail
BALD RIVER FALLS Tennessee Cherokee National Forest Roadside horsetail with height estimates ranging from 60-120ft
BURGESS FALLS Tennessee Burgess Falls State Natural Area Hiking Trail 1.5 mile hike visits 4 waterfalls, the tallest of which is 136ft
FALL CREEK FALLS Tennessee Fall Creek Falls State Park Short Walk/Hiking Trail most famous waterfall in TN; 256-foot tall plunge with overhanging cliff in dramatic setting; about a million visitors each year; trail leads to base of falls
OZONE FALLS Tennessee Ozone State Natural Area Short Walk 100-foot plunge into cool gorge
RUBY FALLS Tennessee privately owned Hiking Trail the best cave waterfall in the US; the 145ft drop is seen from within the cave itself; hundreds of thousands of visitors annually; entrance fee exists as property is privately owned; gift shop
VIRGIN FALLS POCKET WILDERNESS Tennessee Virgin Falls State Natural Area Hiking Trail several great waterfalls on one trail; Virgin Falls is probably the best at 110 feet tall; several caves in the area
BRIDAL VEIL FALLS Utah unknown Roadside/Short Walk probably the tallest waterfall in Utah at an estimated 600ft tall; Provo Canyon area; outstanding in high water
CALF CREEK FALLS
(picture) 		Utah Grand Staircase-Escalante NM Hiking Trail the best waterfall in Utah and perhaps the best desert-waterfall in the southwest after Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls in Arizona; incredible desert-oasis setting; 126ft horsetail/plunge with beautiful swimming hole below
STEWART FALLS Utah Uinta National Forest Hiking Trail several different access trails; total drop estimated at 200ft
THE CASCADES Virginia Jefferson National Forest Hiking Trail considered by many to be the best waterfall in Virginia; 66ft tall; fantastic swimming hole in low/moderate water conditions; plunge falls turns into fan
WHITEOAK CANYON FALLS Virginia Shenandoah National park Hiking Trail series of six major waterfalls with some of the most spectacular falls in the national park
BIG CREEK FALLS Washington Gifford Pinchot National Forest Short Walk 125-foot plunge; lush green moss surrounds falls
CLEAR CREEK FALLS Washington Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Short Walk 300-foot horsetail/fan
COMET FALLS Washington Mt. Rainier National Park Hiking Trail 320 feet tall; several other waterfalls along the way; one of the most popular day hikes near Mt. Rainier
FALLS CREEK FALLS Washington Gifford Pinchot National Forest Hiking Trail 250-foot tiered falls around very lush vegetation
MALACHITE FALLS Washington Snoqualmie National Forest Hiking Trail 600-foot multi-tiered horsetail; trail may be difficult to follow; may or may not actually be located in Snoqualmie National Forest
MARYMERE FALLS Washington Olympic National Park Hiking Trail very pretty waterfall in temperate rain forest; northern section of the park; short-hike; extremely photogenic
PALOUSE FALLS Washington Palouse Falls State Park Short Walk powerful and wild falls; nearly 200ft; a strong contender for best waterfall in Washington; extremely dramatic setting
SNOQUALMIE FALLS Washington unknown Roadside one of WA's most popular tourist attractions and easily its most popular waterfall; 270ft plunge with a lot of development near and above falls
WALLACE FALLS Washington Wallace Falls State Park Hiking Trail estimated 250-265ft tall horsetail; a lower, middle and upper falls exist
BLACKWATER FALLS West Virginia Blackwater Falls State Park Short Walk the most famous waterfall in WV; several other falls in state park; 63-foot tall segemented falls
BIG MANITOU FALLS Wisconsin Pattison State Park Short Walk probably the tallest waterfall in Wisconsin at 162 feet; tiered falls; smaller falls nearby
LOWER FALLS
(picture) 		Wyoming Yellowstone National Park Roadside/Short Walk one of the best waterfalls in the world; gorgeous wateraflls surrounded by yellow rocks; 308 feet tall; several overlook trails; near "Canyon Village"; in eastern Yellowstone; Yellowstone River
TOWER FALLS
(picture)		 Wyoming Yellowstone National Park Roadside/Hiking Trail a roadside overlook exists, but take the easy trail down to the base of the falls for a much better view; in "Tower-Roosevelt" section of park
UNION FALLS Wyoming Yellowstone National Park Hiking Trail one of the most beautiful falls in Yellowstone; estimated height of 250 feet; long-hike, but most consider the effort involved well worth-it (approximately 15 miles round-trip)
UPPER FALLS Wyoming Yellowstone National Park Roadside/Short Walk not as popular as the world-famous Lower Falls downstream, but a classic destination in its own right; near "Canyon Village" in eastern Yellowstone; Yellowstone River

ADDITIONAL WATERFALLS:

Each of the following waterfalls are spectacular and just barely missed the cut to be included in the above list of the top 100 waterfalls in the US. Each of these waterfalls is certainly worthy a visit, and many are among the best in their respective states. If you can think of any additional waterfalls that should be listed here, or if you feel that any listed here are not worthy enough, please contact us!

Anna Ruby Falls Georgia
Bowers Hollow Falls Arkansas
Bridal Veil Falls (Rocky Mountains) Colorado
Elk Falls North Carolina
Fifth Water Utah
Foster Falls Tennessee
Gooseberry Falls State Park Minnesota
Great Falls of the Passaic New Jersey
Hemmed-in-Hollow Falls Arkansas
Hickory Nut Falls North Carolina
Hill Creek Falls West Virginia
Honokohau Falls Hawaii
Kahiwa Falls Hawaii
Koosah Falls Oregon
Linville Falls North Carolina
McClure & Smith Fallls Arkansas
Mingo Falls North Carolina
Minnehaha Falls Minnesota
Moss Glen Falls (Granville) Vermont
Rainbow Falls (Stehekin) Washington
Ramsay Cascades Tennessee
Ribbon Falls California
Seven Falls Colorado
She-Qua-Ga Falls New York
Spray Falls Washington
Tannery Falls Massachusetts
Watkins Glen State Park New York
Thompson Falls (Big Falls) North Carolina
Williamsport Falls Indiana

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