Goat Falls is a 615-foot series of cascades on Goat Creek in the Sawtooth Wilderness of Custer County, Idaho, where the creek spills out of the valley holding Goat Lake. The World Waterfall Database describes it as potentially the tallest perennial waterfall in the state.
The falls
The falls are classed as steep tiered cascades. Goat Creek leaves Goat Lake over a horsetail of 65 to 75 feet, runs down a long chain of cascades, then finishes with a veiling horsetail of about 280 feet. The database still lists the falls as unconfirmed and says a field survey is needed to decide whether the middle cascades belong to the same waterfall.
Getting there
The approach starts at the Iron Creek trailhead in the Sawtooth National Forest. AllTrails maps a combined Goat Lake and Goat Falls route on the Iron Creek and Alpine Way trails at 8.1 miles round trip with 1,768 feet of gain and rates it hard. No maintained trail goes all the way to the lake: the junction is unsigned, and the last stretch takes route finding and scrambling. A free wilderness permit is required and is available at the trailhead. The trailhead is very popular, with limited parking and a restroom; visitors should have a backup plan rather than park on vegetation.
When to go
June through October is the season for the route.
On site
In the Sawtooth Wilderness, dogs must be leashed from July 1 through Labor Day. Fires are prohibited at Goat Lake, and overnight visitors should pack out human waste and store food in bear-proof containers.
Nearby
On Goat Creek itself, Middle Goat Creek Falls lies about 7.4 miles away. Bridal Veil Falls is about 5.1 miles away, Barron Creek Falls about 5.3 miles and Lady Face Falls on Stanley Lake Creek about 5.4 miles.
Distances are straight-line.