Basaltic Falls is a waterfall on Basalt Creek in Pierce County, Washington, in the Cascades region, with a total height of about 200 feet. It lies about 28.5 miles southeast of Crocker and roughly 37.2 miles southeast of South Hill as the crow flies.
At 200 feet it stands in the tallest quarter of Washington’s 941 waterfalls with a recorded height, ranking 199th; the typical Washington waterfall is about 82 feet. The water comes down as a plunge, where the water drops vertically and loses contact with the rock face.
The Cascades are a high volcanic range of snow-capped peaks, deep glacial valleys and dense conifer forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock and true firs, with abundant rain and snow on the western slopes. Basalt cliffs and lava flows give the region one of the highest concentrations of waterfalls in the country. Basalt Creek carries 4 recorded waterfalls, and Basaltic Falls is the tallest of them.
There are 316 recorded waterfalls in Pierce County. East Basaltic Falls, is under a mile away. Middle Basaltic Falls, is under a mile away. Lower East Basaltic Falls, is under a mile away.
Basaltic Falls is located at 46.8096° N, 121.6481° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.