Framed beneath a historic stone arch along the Paradise road, Christine Falls drops 69 feet across two tiers of Van Trump Creek in Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington. The view of the falls framed by the bridge makes it an easy stop between Longmire and Paradise.
The falls
Van Trump Creek, fed by glacial melt, drops in two plunges of 32 and 37 feet: the upper tier sits above the road and the lower drop directly under the bridge, where the creek cuts through the canyon between Rampart Ridge and Cushman Crest. The World Waterfall Database surveyed the cascade in person, documenting a 69-foot total, while park publications cite 60 feet. A glacial debris flow on August 14, 2001 dumped rock into the upper tier and changed its appearance, and floods in 2003 and 2006 scoured the creek bed down to bare bedrock.
Getting there
The falls are on the Paradise road about halfway between the Nisqually Entrance and Paradise, roughly 4.5 miles east of Longmire and just past the Comet Falls trailhead parking. Small pullouts sit on both sides of the bridge. From there a short path drops about 100 feet to a fenced overlook below the bridge.
Mount Rainier admission is $30 per vehicle for seven days or $55 for a park annual pass; America the Beautiful passes are accepted, and entrances are cashless. No timed-entry reservation is required anywhere in the park in 2026. As of September 18, 2026, the road from Nisqually through Longmire to Paradise was open.
When to go
The creek runs all year and the falls can be seen from the road in every season. In winter the path to the lower overlook is snow-covered and icy, making the road view the safer choice.
On site
The bridge is narrow and busy; watch for traffic when walking along or across it. The fenced overlook below provides a clear perspective of the lower tier framed by the stone arch.
History and name
The falls are named for Christine Van Trump, daughter of P. B. Van Trump, an early climber of Mount Rainier. In 1889, at nine years old and despite a crippling nervous disorder, she climbed with her father to about 10,000 feet on the mountain.
Nearby
Comet Falls, reached by the trail that starts just above Christine Falls, is about 1 mile upstream. Lower Van Trump Falls is about 0.4 mile away, Nahunta Falls about 0.6 mile and Van Trump Falls about 0.8 mile.
Distances are straight-line.