Mazama Falls WA - Description | History | Travel Guide

Mazama Falls is a large, very complex, multi-tiered waterfall that happens the place Wells Creek drops off the side of the mountains and into the valley, Washington. The consequence is likely one of the finest waterfalls within the Northwest.

Mazama Falls Overview

The falls are not often considered from up shut because of the excessive issue of getting there. The falls encompass seven tiers as follows: 53′ plunge, 106′ segmented, 102′ plunge right into a horsetail, 36′ cascades, 140′ fan, 43′ plunge, 40′ cascades.

The water of Wells Creek is a beautiful blue by the falls and there are a number of pools that showcase this completely. The falls will be seen from Wells Creek Road at a distance of a number of miles. Even from right here, the falls seem most spectacular. From up shut, they’re astounding!

There apparently was once a trail that ran from Wells Creek Road and handed Mazama Falls on its method upstream. As soon as by following the creek upstream from Wells Creek Falls and as soon as by coming in from above by way of the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail. Both are very troublesome.

The lower route is shorter and brushier, whereas the higher route entails more elevation acquire and loss, however is a lot more nice journey. We like to recommend taking the high highway, however, be extraordinarily cautious climbing down the side of the falls. There are a whole lot of steep slopes the place a slip will likely be deadly.

Mazama Falls additionally referred to more merely as Wells Creek Falls (although that is incorrect, as there’s a Wells Creek Falls downstream), is a waterfall on Wells Creek within the U.S. state of Washington. At practically 500 feet (150 m) high, it’s mentioned to be the biggest waterfall within the Wells Creek watershed.

The falls drops 500 feet (150 m) in three primary tiers. The uppermost tier is fashioned as Wells Creek squeezes between a “pinched” cliff and falls over 200 feet (61 m) in a horsetail kind, harking back to Nevada Falls in Yosemite National Park.

Directly after this drop is a 100 feet (30 m) plunge, which falls right into a water-sculpted bowl. The third tier is a short distance downstream, plunging about 150 feet (46 m) in a segmented kind.[1] The waterfall can also be mentioned to have 4 smaller tiers, the biggest of which is 50 feet (15 m).

The waterfall is well seen from Wells Creek Road #33 within the Mount Baker Wilderness Area, roughly 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from Washington State Route 542.

About 0.75 miles (1.21 km) below Mazama Falls is the 40 feet (12 m) rapids referred to as Lower Mazama Falls. About 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream of Mazama Falls in Wells Creek Falls, a 90 feet (27 m) plunge.

Mazama Falls Description

Mazama Falls is the biggest waterfall within the Wells Creek drainage, thundering 497 feet in seven successive steps between bowl-like depressions carved into the valley’s large headwall below Laisocarpe Ridge.

The falls start with a twisting plunging drop of 53 feet the place the creek squeezes by a slim notch within the cliff. Immediately after it spreads out and veils 106 feet right into a trough protected by a big protruding rock wall.

The third drop follows rapidly because the creek bends around the rock wall and plunges one other 102 feet, impacting on a slanted rock face a little bit over midway down.

The fourth drop follows instantly as a sliding, “L” formed cascade of 36 feet. After pausing in a small pool, the creek then hurtles over the biggest drop of the bunch, a veiling 125-foot plunge, which is then adopted instantly by a 40-foot horsetail and 35 feet of cascades to complete the formation.

When surveyed in October of 2012 we have been in a position to efficiently measure the top 4 tiers, nonetheless, the alleged route to the bottom of the falls proved to be a little bit too sketchy.

A common measurement of the ultimate three drops primarily based on a view wanting downstream from the top of the fifth tier. A future survey will likely be wanted to attain correct measurements of the ultimate three drops of the sequence.

Though the terrain instantly surrounding Mazama Falls is closely forested and will be navigated by these with skill in off-trail travel, the slopes are extraordinarily steep, perhaps coated in very slick pine needle duff, and are precarious sufficient that we merely can not encourage visiting this waterfall.

Given that the 2 possible routes used to go to the falls contain fairly intensive off-trail travel, this isn’t more likely to be a lot of a problem, however in case you do select to go to, please train excessive warning.

Mazama Falls Name and History

Mazama Falls was named by 4 members of The Mazamas, a mountaineering organization primarily based out of Portland Oregon after the falls have been found whereas a trail was being blazed in the direction of Mount Baker.

The trail previously ran parallel to Wells Creek on the east side of the stream, presumably spending some type of view of the falls, but it surely appears unlikely given the rugged terrain instantly around the falls, that it truly supplied up-close views.

Some accounts cite Wells Creek Falls as being an alternate name for this entry, nonetheless early maps of the Mount Baker area clearly present Wells Creek Falls to be the name hooked up to the lower of the 2 main waterfalls within the higher stretch of Wells Creek.

Mazama Falls Directions

Follow the instructions to Nooksack Falls. Continue on Wells Creek Road for one more 5 miles or so till it crosses over Bar Creek, passing Wells Creek Falls alongside the best way.

After the highway crosses Bar Creek it will get fairly bumpy and brushy however continues to be drivable. As the highway rises above the creek look back throughout the valley the place you possibly can see Mazama Falls from a few miles away.

Nearby Falls

Excelsior Falls, Landslide Falls, Lower Mazama Falls, Nooksack Falls, Sholes Creek Falls, Wells Creek Falls

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Mazama Falls WA – Description | History | Travel Guide | Location