Van Trump Falls is a 190-foot series of tiered plunges on Van Trump Creek in Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington. It sits below Comet Falls on the same trail, but much of the descent remains hidden inside a narrow gorge, giving hikers a partial view.
The falls
Glacier-fed Van Trump Creek drops in five steps over a run of about 200 feet: a string of small slides totalling 23 feet, a pair of drops totalling 96 feet, and farther downstream another set falling 71 feet. The tallest single drop is 65 feet. Total height is measured at 190 feet across five tiers, though alternative documentation figures 170 feet in four drops. The creek flows year-round, running at about 150 cubic feet per second in high-water months and 50 in the remaining season.
Getting there
The falls are reached via the Comet Falls Trail, with a trailhead on the Paradise road about 4 miles east of Longmire. Parking is limited, with a small lot and no overflow space nearby. The dirt trail climbs log steps for about 1.4 miles on the route toward Comet Falls. Park managers rate the hike as strenuous.
Mount Rainier entrance costs $30 per vehicle for seven days, payable by card. No timed-entry reservation is required in 2026.
When to go
The hiking season typically spans June to October; snow and ice can linger into June or July, and the corridor crosses avalanche terrain in winter. Park trail reports from September 2026 showed the route snow-free with no closure.
On site
Only part of the lower tier is visible from the main path. Upper tiers can be viewed from a rock at the rim of the sheer gorge, about 150 feet above the stream, while the base requires scrambling down steep, silt-covered rock; the approach is dangerous. Dogs are prohibited on park trails, excluding service animals.
History and name
The name is unofficial, and the feature is also known as Middle Van Trump Falls. Floods and a debris flow in 2001 reshaped the lower tiers. The creek, which begins at Van Trump Glacier and joins the Nisqually River, honors P. B. Van Trump.
Nearby
Bloucher Falls on the East Fork is about 0.2 mile away in a direct line, Comet Falls sits about 0.3 mile out, Lower Van Trump Falls is about 0.5 mile distant, and roadside Christine Falls near the trailhead is about 0.8 mile away.
Distances are straight-line.