Waterfalls are among the top outdoor attractions people like to visit. Their effects range from soothing to inspiring to awe-inducing, and although they’re most common in mountainous areas, there are waterfalls in every U.S. state.
With more than 17,000 documented waterfalls in the country, any list of the best is going to be subjective, but you won’t be disappointed by the ones here.
Multnomah Falls, Oregon
With a total drop of 620’ in two tiers, this is the tallest waterfall in the state. There’s a stone bridge crossing between the two drops, and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. You can walk across the bridge.
Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan
At just 48’ tall, this is not a very high waterfall, but the width of the river and the volume of water make it one of the biggest falls in the eastern part of the country. Just after the falls, the river rolls into Lake Superior.
Yosemite Falls, California
This waterfall in Yosemite National Park has three drops, and in all, it’s 2425’ tall, making it one of the highest waterfalls in North America. Spring is the best time to see it because snowmelt has it roaring; by late summer, it can dry up.
Bridalveil Fall, California
In a single drop, this famous Yosemite Valley waterfall crashes 620’ to the ground. Its name comes from the mists and sprays that whirl about as the water plunges.
Nevada Fall, California
Yosemite Valley is famous not just for some of the world’s tallest sheer cliffs but also for some of its most beautiful waterfalls. The Mist Trail takes you past this thundering 594-foot waterfall and the one next on this list.
Vernal Falls, California
If Nevada Fall is all about the power of water, Vernal is about the beauty. At 318’ tall, it’s still an impressive waterfall, but it also has a loveliness that words can’t capture. Bonus: there’s often a rainbow at the base of this waterfall.
Havasu Falls, Arizona
It’s a long hike down into Havasu Canyon, a tributary of the Grand Canyon, and an even longer hike out since it’s all uphill, but it’s worth it. Given the setting, Havasu Falls seems like a mirage with its turquoise waters and travertine terraces in the pools at its base. There are two other waterfalls in this canyon as well, and if Havasu weren’t there, they’d be on this list.
Palouse Falls, Washington
The high semi-desert of eastern Washington is one of the last places you’d expect to see a huge waterfall, but there’s one there nonetheless. Palouse Falls drops 186’ over basalt cliffs, and then the river races on to join the legendary Snake River.
Lower Calf Creek Falls, Utah
A waterfall in the middle of the desert? Yes! Lower Calf Creek Falls is one of the gems of Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. A moderate hike of about 2.5 miles one-way gets you there; along the way, you’ll see amazing sandstone formations and ancient Native American rock art.
Snoqualmie Falls, Washington
The Snoqualmie River takes a spectacular 269’ drop here. Its proximity to Seattle makes it one of the most popular outdoor attractions in the state. If you’re a fan of the TV series Twin Peaks, you’ll recognize this waterfall.
Wailua Falls, Hawaii
Many people cite Kauai as the most beautiful of the Hawaiian islands, and many of those pick Wailua as their favorite waterfall. The river here splits into twin drops that fall 173’.
Dry Falls, North Carolina
Southwestern North Carolina is sometimes called “Waterfall Country” because of the abundance of named and unnamed waterfalls. Dry Falls is nowhere close to the tallest, but it makes up for that in its beauty. You can also walk behind it, and its backside was the setting for the iconic “I will find you!” scene in The Last of the Mohicans.
Niagara Falls, New York
Yes, it’s a tourist trap. Yet, when you drown out all the crowds and the commercialization, you’ll realize that this site is a wonder of nature.
Cumberland Falls, Kentucky
This waterfall is beautiful in its own right, but something else makes it famous. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can see a moonbow. You’ll need a clear night, of course.
Upper Mesa Falls, Idaho
114’ tall and 200’ wide, Upper Mesa Falls is a sight to behold, and it’s easy to get to. There’s also a Lower Falls that’s worth a visit as well.
Whitewater Falls, North/South Carolina
Over 3.5 miles in North Carolina and then South Carolina, the aptly named Whitewater River drops 1500’. The drop in NC called Whitewater Falls is, at 811’, the tallest waterfall east of the Rockies.
McWay Falls, California
It seems like something out of a fantasy movie: a waterfall plummets 80’ to a sandy beach just a few feet away from a perfectly blue ocean lagoon. But it is real, and you can see it in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in California’s Big Sur region.
Ruby Falls, Tennessee
Lookout Mountain outside Chattanooga is a tourist trap, and with the light shows, Ruby Falls isn’t an exception. Still, though, this underground waterfall that drops 145’ over a series of cascades, including one long, unbroken one, is something special.
Lower Yellowstone Falls, Wyoming
Sometimes described as “bottle-green” here, the Yellowstone River roars over two impressive drops, but the lower one, at a little over 300’, is the more spectacular. You can view it from afar or, if you’re okay with getting wet, up close via two different trails.
Great Falls, Maryland/Virginia
The Potomac River starts as a pretty mountain stream in its main channel and several tributaries in the mountains of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. As it flows through Washington, D.C., and onto the Chesapeake Bay, it’s the epitome of a wide, slow-moving river.
Just a few miles upstream from the nation’s capital, though, tall cliffs force the river into a narrow gorge, and a mellow river suddenly becomes a torrent of cascades that only the very best whitewater kayakers can navigate. The individual drops aren’t very high, but the force and the volume display a violence that simply awes anyone watching.
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