Day Trippin' › Washington › From Seattle › Best waterfalls
Our picks for the best waterfalls within 3 hours of Seattle: 19 places, 4 under an hour away, 3 between 1 and 2 hours and 12 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 98101.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Snoqualmie Falls, 34 min east of Seattle.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Meher Anand Kasam, CC BY-SA 3.0
#1 · Waterfall · 34 min east
A 268-foot falls with an overlook a short walk from the parking lot.
Heads-up: Lower trail is steep.
Photo: Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0
#2 · Waterfall · 1 hr northeast
A forest trail to a string of waterfalls above Gold Bar.
Heads-up: Parking fills fast on weekends.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
#3 · Town · 2 hr 55 min southeast
Wine village tasting rooms and a big hot air balloon rally in fall.
Photo: Wilderness trespasser, CC BY-SA 4.0
#4 · Waterfall · 35 min east
A riverside trail to a tall falls and a footbridge over the gorge.
Photo: Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
#5 · Waterfall · 52 min east
A short trail to a 70-foot falls near Snoqualmie Pass.
Heads-up: Last bit is rocky; icy in winter.
Photo: Sundodger at en.wikipedia, Public domain
#6 · Waterfall · 1 hr 6 min southwest
A short loop past a series of falls on the Deschutes River, with salmon in the fall.
Heads-up: Open 8 am to 8 pm; the entry gate closes at 7:30 pm.
Photo: daveynin from United States, CC BY 2.0
#7 · Waterfall · 1 hr 56 min southeast
A forest loop to a blue-green falls near Ohanapecosh.
Photo: Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0
#8 · Waterfall · 2 hr 4 min southeast
A falls framed by a stone bridge, seen from a pullout.
Photo: Unknown, Public domain
#9 · Scenic drive · 2 hr 4 min east
A drive along the Wenatchee River's rapids, glowing in fall color.
Photo: Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
#10 · Waterfall · 2 hr 11 min southeast
A short steep path to a big falls right off the Paradise road.
Heads-up: Spray makes the path slick.
Photo: Walter Siegmund; cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 01:57, 4 March 2010 (UTC), CC BY 2.5
#11 · Town · 2 hr 12 min northeast
A company town with a short cedar forest loop and the lit-up Ladder Creek Falls garden.
Heads-up: Ladder Creek Falls is lit from dusk to 11 pm; bring a flashlight.
Photo: Benjamin Cody, CC BY-SA 3.0
#12 · Waterfall · 2 hr 14 min north
A powerful falls dropping into a gorge, a minute from the road.
Heads-up: Stay behind the fence; people have died here.
Photo: Gabriele Giuseppini, CC BY 3.0
#13 · Canyon · 2 hr 15 min east
Basalt columns, a seasonal waterfall and climbing near the Gorge Amphitheatre.
Heads-up: Rockfall has closed the road at times; check conditions before you go.
Photo: PJ Blalock, Public domain
#14 · Waterfall · 2 hr 48 min south
A tall arch bridge over the East Fork Lewis River, with swimming holes.
Heads-up: Cold, fast water.
Photo: Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 4.0
#15 · Lake · 2 hr 59 min northeast
A paved trail to a mountain lake with a waterfall, right off Hwy 20.
Heads-up: Flat, paved 1-mile trail. Snow can linger into late June; Hwy 20 closes here in winter.
Bridal Veil Falls and Lake Serene (1 hr 5 min), Comet Falls (2 hr 4 min), Marymere Falls (2 hr 36 min), Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area (3 hr)
Our top picks are Snoqualmie Falls (34 min), Wallace Falls State Park (1 hr), Prosser (2 hr 55 min), Twin Falls (35 min) and Franklin Falls (52 min). The page lists 19 places in all.
19: 4 under an hour away, 3 between 1 and 2 hours and 12 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 98101.
Snoqualmie Falls, about 34 min east of Seattle.
7 need no pass or fee, including Snoqualmie Falls, Newhalem and Trail of the Cedars and Nooksack Falls. Fees change, so check each place.
12 of the 19 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.