Suiattle Falls
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| | Raps:15, max ↨230ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 25 Apr 2026
"Superb day!. 1h50m hike along the forest road. Great views and a relaxed gradient made the time fly.. All the anchors survived the winter stor |
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| Best season: | Apr-Jun
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48.3734, -121.5109
48.3632, -121.5109
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Weather forecast
Waterflow
Introduction
There's not many canyoning routes like this in Washington.
Back-to-back rappels on a South-facing aspect which collects the sun! A ~50m free-hanging drop, huge multi-pitch slabs, some tight aquatic slot sections (spicy in high flow!). Despite lacking jumps/slides/swims this canyon makes up for it in beauty and uniqueness.
Simple hiking access on forest roads, and a near-immediate exit add to making this a great route.
Approach
Setting off from Suiattle River Road (FS26) up the "Suiattle Mountain Road" forestry road provides a very straight forward approach. Easy to navigate and at a consistently mellow gradient the 400m/1300ft climb passes without much problem, and the views even make it enjoyable.
You can choose to park either at the canyon exit, or further SW from where you leave the road to start the hike. Note that the maps suggest the forestry roads connect to the main road, but they don't anymore, so there's a short walk through the trees to pick up the well maintained forestry road.
Note on alternative approaches
A look at the map suggests potentially multiple others ways up. Many of them are gated or overgrown, or cross private & commercial land. It turns out walking this road is very simple and takes you directly to the interesting part of the canyon too.
Descent
The first descent used a 100m rope, meaning some pitches were longer than usual. The second descent broke a few of the longer pitches up, utilizing a 70m rope for many pitches. A pair of 60m ropes would suffice in lower flow currently. In higher flow you might way to rap further down the main falls slab.
| Rappel Number | Type | Location | Feet/Metres | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Section Narrow with sweeping corners | |||||
| 1 | tree | DCL | 40ft / 13m | 2 stage. From tree set back in creek. Rap down boulders, through cool narrow slot, and down ramp. | |
| 2 | tree | DCL | 45ft / 14m | 2 stage (first stage optional down climbable with another tree on DCR for second stage). Into cool pot hole. | |
| 3 | single bolt | DCR | 65ft / 20m | From cool pot hole down ramp. | |
| The big slabs! Drop into wide open slabs. | |||||
| 4a | tree | DCL | 33ft / 10m | Low angle access rap to bolts near edge. | |
| 4b | 2 bolts | DCR | 115ft / 35m | Allows to rap both wet and dry lines. | |
| 5 | tree | DCL | 175ft / 54m | ||
| Suiattle Falls The top of the falls is a great break spot. | |||||
| 6 | tree | DCR | 33ft / 10m | Access rap to bolts at edge. | |
| 7 | 2 bolts | DCR | 230ft / 70m | 45m free hanging rappel to slabs, depending on conditions up to an extra 25m to reach the bottom of the slabs. Watch for abrasion, and don't twist the pull lines. | |
| 8 | tree | DCR | 115ft / 35m | Remarkable this tree survives given its location. There's some old hiking hand line anchors above which could serve as emergency anchors if needed. | |
| Lower Section More enclosed by the forest. Many bypass options exist. | |||||
| 9 | 2 bolts | DCR | 115ft / 35m | ||
| 10 | tree | DCR | 90ft / 28m | ||
| 11 | 2 bolts | DCR | 120ft / 37m | On downstream side of boulder set back from edge. | |
| 12 | tree | DCR | 95ft / 29m | ||
| 13 | tree | DCR | 10ft / 3m | ghosted | |
| 14 | tree | DCL | 40ft / 13m | ghosted | |
| 15 | tree | DCL | 20ft / 6m | ghosted | |
| 16 | tree | DCR | 150ft / 45m | 2 stage | |
| 5 minutes creek walk to road! | |||||
Exit
Short creek walk to car. Exit creek DCL to road. DCR has wasp nests which swarmed us morning of first descent. Do not recommend.
Red tape
Beta sites
https://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall/Suiattle-Falls-22571
https://aaronswaterfallworld.tripod.com/suiattlefalls.htm
Trip reports and media
Scouting video, June 2024
Background
From waterfallsnortwest.com:
Suiattle Falls is an immensely tall chain of plunges, horsetails, and cascades along an unnamed stream which drains from the southwest portion of Suiattle Mountain north of Darrington. The total height of the falls is difficult to determine because the stream is heavily incised into a narrow ravine, but topographic data supports the idea that the entire chain drops around 800 feet. The largest individual section of the falls is fortunately the most accessible - a 294 foot drop which begins as an airy free-falling plunge that impacts on a ledge and then slides down a narrow chute with a second nearly-vertical plunge out of sight below.
More of the falls can be seen collectively from across the Suiattle River valley along Forest Road, but due to the narrow confines of the ravine which the falls descent, it may be impossible to determine the true scale of the entire waterfall without either technical climbing experience, or the use of a drone-mounted camera. The small drainage basin and resultant low streamflow may also make it harder to survey the entire falls in the future.\
Views of the 294-foot portion of the falls are obtained via a user-constructed trail which climbs ridiculously steeply up along side the ravine harboring the falls. At some points scrambling on all fours is advised, and around the base of the falls the slopes are steep and potentially deadly in places. Visitors are advised to be quite cautious here, understanding that this is still effectively a bushwhack destination which has just seen some improvement to its route.