Fan Waterfalls in the United States
105 fan waterfalls across the United States. Narrow at the top and spreading wide on the way down, always touching the rock. All waterfalls.
Browse by state 47
- Alabama 97
- Arizona 66
- Arkansas 280
- California 1,039
- Colorado 345
- Connecticut 79
- Florida 3
- Georgia 298
- Idaho 249
- Illinois 20
- Indiana 24
- Iowa 8
- Kansas 24
- Kentucky 65
- Louisiana 6
- Maine 175
- Maryland 13
- Massachusetts 37
- Michigan 294
- Minnesota 43
- Mississippi 8
- Missouri 11
- Montana 252
- Nebraska 14
- Nevada 25
- New Hampshire 264
- New Jersey 5
- New Mexico 20
- New York 879
- North Carolina 495
- North Dakota 1
- Ohio 26
- Oklahoma 30
- Oregon 1,342
- Pennsylvania 274
- Rhode Island 5
- South Carolina 22
- South Dakota 10
- Tennessee 427
- Texas 71
- Utah 76
- Vermont 229
- Virginia 127
- Washington 2,596
- West Virginia 13
- Wisconsin 83
- Wyoming 267
- On Horsepasture River
- 16 mi from Brevard
- On Big Crabtree Creek
- 8 mi from Spruce Pine
- On Dover Creek
- 5 mi from Laurium
- On Gibbon River
- 16 mi from West Yellowstone
- On Glen Creek
- 27 mi from West Yellowstone
- On Hyalite Creek
- 17 mi from Bozeman
- On Cheyenne Creek
- 5 mi from Manitou Springs
- On Mingo Creek
- 5 mi from Cherokee
- On West Branch Pleasant River
- 13 mi from Greenville
- On West Branch Sturgeon River
- 16 mi from Baraga
- On Ouzel Creek
- 26 mi from Ashton
- 34 mi from LeChee
- On Fall Creek
- 2 mi from Smithville
- On Tucker Brook
- 3 mi from Hardwick
- On Bates Creek
- 22 mi from Mills
- On Fall Brook
- 7 mi from West Brattleboro
- On Machine Falls Branch
- 4 mi from Tullahoma
What is a fan waterfall?
A fan waterfall starts narrow at the crest and spreads wider as it descends, keeping contact with the rock all the way down, so the water forms a triangle. Fans form where a fall lands on a sloping apron of rock below a narrow notch. Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park and Gibbon Falls in Yellowstone are well known fans, and the catalogue lists 105 in all, with Tennessee and New Hampshire having the most. Fans are usually modest in height and easy to photograph from the base because the spread of the water fills the frame. Many are labelled cascade or horsetail as well, since the fan shape describes the outline rather than the way the water moves.
Tallest fan waterfalls
- Ouzel Falls235 ftTeton County, Wyoming
- Rainbow Falls130 ftTransylvania County, North Carolina
- Crabtree Falls120 ftYancey County, North Carolina
- Vaseys Paradise Falls120 ftCoconino County, Arizona
- Cul-Car-Mac Falls90 ftDeKalb County, Tennessee