| Comet Falls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington, United States |
| Type | Tiered |
| Total height | 380 feet (120 m) |
| Number of drops | 4 |
| Total width | 30 feet (9.1 m) |
| Watercourse | Van Trump Creek |
Comet Falls is a tall waterfall located on Van Trump Creek in Pierce County, Washington. The falls are thought to be the best in the Mount Rainier region. [1]
At first glance the falls drop about 300 feet (91 m) out of a hanging valley in one lofty plunge. The height of the plunge is actually 320 feet (98 m). The falls are more than that though, as there are two obvious smaller tiers below the main drop as well as one just visible above the main drop. The bottom two drops are 40 and 20 feet (6.1 m) high while the height of the upper drop is not known. In any case, assuming the upper drop is at least 20 feet (6.1 m) high, the falls are likely around 400 feet (120 m) high.
Due to the strong bedrock the falls flow over, the falls themselves were not damaged, but the mudflows still left their mark. A canyon up to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep was carved by the mudflows just below the falls and all plant life lining the creek below the falls was washed away and replaced by dead vegetation. Also, the pool at the base of the main drop was filled in by rock and debris.
The floods of 2003 and 2006 actually helped the falls a lot because it removed most of the debris that previously lined the creek below the falls. Once again, due to the strong bedrock the falls flow over, the falls were not altered much.
Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, dropping a total of 2,425 feet (739 m) from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. Located in the Sierra Nevada of California, it is a major attraction in the park, especially in late spring when the water flow is at its peak.
Yellowstone Falls consist of two major waterfalls on the Yellowstone River, within Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States. As the Yellowstone river flows north from Yellowstone Lake, it leaves the Hayden Valley and plunges first over Upper Yellowstone Falls and then a quarter mile downstream over Lower Yellowstone Falls, at which point it then enters the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which is up to 1,000 feet deep.
A mudflow or mud flow is a form of mass wasting involving "very rapid to extremely rapid surging flow" of debris that has become partially or fully liquified by the addition of significant amounts of water to the source material.
Linville Falls is a waterfall located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the United States. The falls move in several distinct steps, beginning in a twin set of upper falls, moving down a small gorge, and culminating in a high-volume 45-foot (14 m) drop.
The Kautz Glacier is a narrow glacier on the southern flank of Mount Rainier in Washington. Named for August Kautz, who is sometimes credited for the first ascent of Mount Rainier, covers 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) and contains 7.8 billion ft3 of ice. Upper Kautz Glacier extends south from the summit ice cap to Kautz Ice Cliff at about 11,700 feet (3,600 m). Immediately west of the main ice cliff, the glacier continues down Kautz Chute which terminates in another ice cliff just above the lower Kautz Glacier at 10,800 feet (3,300 m). Usually reached by a short descent from Camp Hazard at 11,300 feet (3,400 m) on Wapowety Cleaver, climbers following the Kautz Glacier climbing route ascend this chute to the upper glacier.
Foss River Falls is a 650-foot (200 m) drop on the West Fork Foss River in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, King County, Washington. Its sources are at Delta Lake, and the 70-foot (21 m)-wide drop flows year-round. The waterfall is split into two parts. Each part is split into several tiers.
There are four prominent waterfalls in the basin of a short tributary of Sulphide Creek, on the southeast flank of 9,127-foot (2,781m) Mount Shuksan in North Cascades National Park, Washington. Seahpo Peak Falls and Cloudcap Falls, the taller two of the three, are located on separate streams that converge and plunge over Rockflow Canyon Falls. The unnamed outlet stream from these waterfalls flows into Sulphide Creek, which flows into the Baker River. Another waterfall is Jagged Ridge Falls, on a tributary of the unnamed stream.
Walupt Creek Falls is a relatively obscure, but massive waterfall on Walupt Creek, a large tributary of the Cispus River in Lewis County, Washington, at an elevation of 3,500 feet (1,100 m). The falls cascade 221 feet (67 m) down a bedrock cliff in two tiers, with an average breadth of 204 feet (62 m), a maximum breadth of 267 feet (81 m) and an average flow of over 150 cubic feet (4.2 m3) per second. The creek begins the drop by falling down a 10 feet (3.0 m) cascade, then impacts a large, bell-shaped dome and spreads into a wide fan, dropping 200 feet (61 m). The final drop is a gently sloping slide that flows directly into the Cispus River. The feeder river, Walupt Creek, is sourced directly from Walupt Lake which provides a consistent flow throughout the year. The drainage basin of the river is also fairly large.
Van Trump Creek, also called Van Trump Falls Creek or the Van Trump Fork of the Nisqually River, is a creek in Pierce County, Washington. It is a tributary of the Nisqually River, joining the river just above the mouth of the Paradise River. The creek is known for having several well known waterfalls along its course.
Upper Comet Falls is a waterfall in Pierce County, Washington. It is located along Van Trump Creek and is located a ways above Comet Falls. The falls may have been formed as a result of the floods of 2003 and 2006 that came down Van Trump Creek.
Van Trump Falls is a waterfall on Van Trump Creek in Pierce County, Washington. The falls are located a short distance downstream from the mouth of Falls Creek.
Christine Falls is a waterfall on Van Trump Creek in Pierce County, Washington. The falls are 69 feet (21 m) feet high and are best known for the Christine Falls Bridge spanning the lower drop. The upper drop is 32 feet (9.8 m) high and is almost impossible to film in tandem with the oft-photographed 37-foot (11 m) lower tier. The lower tier is probably one of the most commonly photographed locations in the Mount Rainier area.
Kautz Creek is a tributary of the Nisqually River, flowing from the Kautz Glacier, with its watershed in the Mount Rainier National Park of Washington. It drains southwest from Mount Rainier for about 6 miles (9.7 km) before it joins the Nisqually River near Mount Rainier Highway. It is notable for being a severe flooding hazard due to the volume of summer glacier melt and its frequently changing course. The 400-foot (120 m) Kautz Creek Falls on the headwaters of the creek was formed by the retreat of the Kautz Glacier in the past 50 years.
Eagle Creek is a tributary of the Columbia River in Multnomah and Hood River counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. It cuts through a narrow canyon in its 3,200 feet (980 m) descent to the Columbia River Gorge and is known for its concentration of 13 waterfalls in about 5 miles (8.0 km) distance. Eight major falls are on Eagle Creek and the East Fork Eagle Creek itself, while five are on its tributaries.
The Paradise River in Washington state, United States, is known for having a total of eight major waterfalls.
The valley of the West Fork Foss River contains a fair amount of waterfalls. The river heads in a series of large lakes: Big Heart Lake, Angeline Lake, and Otter Lake- which form spectacular waterfalls as they plunge down to Delta Lake. On the valley walls downstream of Delta Lake, are found even more waterfalls.
The Little Mashel River Waterfalls are the 3 waterfalls contained within the gorge of the Little Mashel River, not far above its confluence with the Mashel River.
The Muddy River is a stream, about 29 miles (47 km) long, southeast of Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of Washington. The Muddy River flows south–southeast and joins the Lewis River just above the Swift Reservoir. The Lewis River flows west and is a tributary to the Columbia River. The east flank of Mount St. Helens is within the watershed of Muddy Creek.
Coordinates: 46°47′45″N121°46′48″W / 46.79583°N 121.78000°W