Boulder River Waterfalls Explained

The Boulder River is home to 3 waterfalls, one just below its headwaters and the other 2 closer to its mouth. Below are descriptions of all 3:

Craig Lakes Falls

Craig Lakes Falls
Location:Snohomish County, Washington, U.S.
Type:Horsetail
Height:400feet
Width:40feet
Watercourse:Boulder River
Number Drops:1

Craig Lakes Falls, at 48.1831°N -121.7067°W, occurs about 0.5 miles downstream from the outlet of the lower of the Craig Lakes. The falls are a single horsetail of 400 feet and stay consistent in volume all year. Reaching the falls requires a 2-day round trip trek through the Boulder River Wilderness meaning that most are discouraged from going to the falls due to its extremely difficult access.[1] [2]

Boulder Falls

Boulder Falls
Location:Snohomish County, Washington, U.S.
Type:Segmented Cascade
Height:40feet
Width:60feet
Watercourse:Boulder River
Number Drops:1

Boulder Falls, at 48.2467°N -121.8275°W is countless times confused with Feature Show Falls. The reason for that is that Boulder Falls can only be heard from the Boulder River Trail but not seen. Boulder Falls is also marked on most maps, while Feature Show Falls is not. Feature Show Falls is easily seen from trail, so when people get to Feature Show Falls, they assume its Boulder Falls. One has to go off trail to reach Boulder Falls.

Boulder Falls is aptly named because it simply occurs where the river drops about 40 feet through a large boulder garden.[3]

Half Mile Falls

Half Mile Falls
Location:Snohomish County, Washington, U.S.
Type:Horsetail
Watercourse:Boulder River
Number Drops:1

Half Mile Falls, at 48.2631°N -121.8106°W, also known as Lower Boulder Falls, is the final waterfall on the Boulder River. It occurs about ¼ of the way between Boulder Falls and the river's mouth. It is about 35 feet tall and is very difficult to reach without a GPS. The falls dump into a large pool.[4] [5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Northwest Waterfall Survey.
  2. Web site: Craig Lakes Falls | World Waterfall Database: World's Tallest Waterfalls . 2009-03-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101201212907/http://world-waterfalls.com/waterfall.php?num=644 . 2010-12-01 . dead .
  3. Web site: Northwest Waterfall Survey.
  4. Web site: Northwest Waterfall Survey.
  5. Web site: Steps Involved in Creating a Financial Plan. 15 August 2020.