Chinook Creek Falls is a waterfall on Chinook Creek in Pierce County, Washington, in the Cascades region, with a total height of about 221 feet. It lies about 31.2 miles southeast of Crocker and roughly 40 miles southeast of South Hill as the crow flies.
At 221 feet it stands in the tallest quarter of Washington’s 941 waterfalls with a recorded height, ranking 186th; the typical Washington waterfall is about 82 feet. The tallest single drop is 102 feet. The water comes down as a tiered waterfall, falling in several distinct steps one after another, combined with a horsetail character. It falls in 5 drops.
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. Chinook Creek carries 9 recorded waterfalls, and Chinook Creek Falls is the tallest of them.
There are 316 recorded waterfalls in Pierce County. Upper Chinook Creek Falls, 92 feet high, is under a mile away. Hourglass Falls, a 36-foot veiling horsetail waterfall, is under a mile away. Unnamed waterfall on Chinook Creek, 25 feet high, is under a mile away.
Chinook Creek Falls is located at 46.8535° N, 121.5324° 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.