Cave Falls is a 320-foot tiered waterfall on Big Creek in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Skamania County, Washington, dropping in seven steps through a narrow slot canyon above the Lewis River. It takes its name from a large undercut cave behind the lowest tier.
The falls
The falls descend across seven tiers cut into volcanic bedrock over a run of about 400 feet. The top tier, known as The Corkscrew, drops about 105 feet and is largely inaccessible. Smaller middle drops of roughly 23 and 28 feet lead to a 54-foot tier, and the last drop plunges 85 feet into a grotto, where the water strikes a large boulder and briefly disappears underground. An earlier survey listed 400 feet across six drops, while another count gives 450 feet across five tiers. The falls average about 10 feet wide.
Getting there
There is no maintained trail to Cave Falls. Reaching the base involves a difficult bushwhack up Big Creek from the Lewis River, while the middle tiers require technical gear for canyon descent. The nearby Big Creek Falls trail was left unmaintained after a 2012–2013 windstorm destroyed its viewpoint. Although unmaintained and technically abandoned rather than officially closed, the old overlook walk measures between 1.4 and 1.5 miles round trip with 180 to 393 feet of gain.
When to go
Big Creek flows year-round, carrying higher water about eight months of the year. High water can block the creek route up from the Lewis River.
On site
The abandoned route features blocked trailhead parking, storm-damaged viewing structures, fallen trees, and root-rot hazards along the old trail. Beyond the base, the middle tiers cannot be passed without technical equipment.
Nearby
Big Creek Falls and Lower Cave Falls are each about 0.3 miles away, Hemlock Creek Falls about 0.7 miles, and Tribulation Falls, farther up Big Creek, about 1.8 miles.
Distances are straight-line.