Hourglass Falls is a waterfall on Chinook Creek in Pierce County, Washington, in the Cascades region, with a total height of about 36 feet. It lies about 31.1 miles southeast of Crocker and roughly 40 miles southeast of South Hill as the crow flies.
At 36 feet it is on the modest side for Washington, where the typical waterfall with a recorded height stands around 82 feet; it ranks 717th of 941. The water comes down as a veiling waterfall, a thin sheet of water spread over the rock face, combined with a horsetail character.
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; the biggest of them reaches 221 feet.
There are 316 recorded waterfalls in Pierce County. Upper Chinook Creek Falls, 92 feet high, is under a mile away. Unnamed waterfall on Chinook Creek, 25 feet high, is under a mile away. Chinook Creek Falls, a 221-foot tiered horsetail waterfall, is under a mile away.
Hourglass Falls is located at 46.8552° N, 121.5329° 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.