Columnar Falls is a waterfall in Pierce County, Washington, in the Cascades region, with a total height of about 650 feet. It lies about 27.2 miles southeast of Crocker and roughly 35.9 miles southeast of South Hill as the crow flies.
At 650 feet it stands in the tallest quarter of Washington’s 941 waterfalls with a recorded height, ranking 50th; the typical Washington waterfall is about 82 feet. The tallest single drop is 300 feet. The water comes down as a tiered waterfall, falling in several distinct steps one after another, combined with a horsetail character. It falls in 3 drops.
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.
There are 316 recorded waterfalls in Pierce County. Upper Glisan Falls, is under a mile away. Glisan Falls, is under a mile away. Upper Margaret Falls, a 360-foot tiered horsetail waterfall, is under a mile away.
Columnar Falls is located at 46.8194° N, 121.6733° 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 position was verified on aerial imagery. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.