Plunge Waterfalls in the United States
749 plunge waterfalls across the United States. The water drops vertically and loses contact with the rock face. 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
- Tallest drop 1,430 ft · 6 drops
- On Yosemite Creek
- 2 mi from Yosemite Valley
- On Ribbon Creek
- 4 mi from Yosemite Valley
- On Falls Creek
- 19 mi from Yosemite Valley
- Tallest drop 542 ft · 4 drops
- On Multnomah Creek
- 12 mi from Washougal
- On Bridalveil Creek
- 4 mi from Yosemite Valley
- Tallest drop 300 ft · 2 drops
- On Mist Creek
- 11 mi from Washougal
- Tallest drop 301 ft · 4 drops
- On Van Trump Creek
- 24 mi from Eatonville
- On Fall River
- 7 mi from Berry Creek
- Tallest drop 265 ft · 4 drops
- On Wallace River
- 3 mi from Gold Bar
- On Illilouette Creek
- 2 mi from Yosemite Valley
- Tallest drop 200 ft · 4 drops
- 28 mi from Darrington
- Tallest drop 85 ft · 7 drops
- On Big Creek
- 26 mi from Carson
- On Yellowstone River
- 30 mi from West Yellowstone
- Tallest drop 260 ft · 3 drops
- On McCord Creek
- 6 mi from Cascade Locks
- On Snoqualmie River
- 1 mi from Snoqualmie
- Tallest drop 223 ft · 2 drops
- On Silver Creek
- 14 mi from Lakeside
- On Clear Creek
- 28 mi from Tieton
- Tallest drop 167 ft · 2 drops
- On Lake Creek
- 3 mi from Palenville
- On Latourell Creek
- 7 mi from Washougal
- Tallest drop 135 ft · 2 drops
- On Cabin Creek
- 7 mi from Carson
- Tallest drop 165 ft · 2 drops
- On Snake River
- 4 mi from Twin Falls
What is a plunge waterfall?
A plunge waterfall drops vertically and loses contact with the rock face behind it, so the water falls freely through the air. Plunges form where a hard cap rock overhangs softer layers that have eroded away underneath, often leaving a cave or alcove behind the curtain of water. They are the most dramatic type to stand beneath and the easiest to recognise. The catalogue has 747 plunge falls, led by Washington and Oregon. The upper drop of Yosemite Falls is a plunge of 1,430 feet, and Ribbon Fall next to it drops 1,612 feet in one leap, though it runs only in spring. Plunge falls are usually measured precisely because the single drop is easy to survey, so most entries here carry a height.
Tallest plunge waterfalls
- Yosemite Falls2,425 ftMariposa County, California
- Ribbon Fall1,612 ftMariposa County, California
- Drury Falls1,267 ftChelan County, Washington
- Shoestring Falls1,100 ftKing County, Washington
- Bouck Falls1,002 ftWhatcom County, Washington