Eagle Falls is an 18-foot cascade on the South Fork Skykomish River in Snohomish County, Washington, beside US Highway 2 about 2 miles east of Index. Its deep green pool draws summer swimmers, but the falls are deadly: Sky Valley Fire counted 13 deaths here since 2020.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database, which surveyed the falls in person, measures a single 18-foot steep cascade about 50 feet wide, sliding at around 40 degrees over a run of 100 feet; Wikipedia gives 25 feet. The river squeezes through smooth granite into a large pool ringed by cliffs up to 60 feet high. Fed partly by glaciers, it runs all year, and the database gives an average high flow of 2,427 cubic feet per second. Eagle Falls is the uppermost of three large falls on this stretch, above Canyon Falls and Sunset Falls, and together they block migrating salmon.
Getting there
The falls sit at a roadside stop on US 2 with no signs and no developed trailhead. Snohomish County's river access assessment describes two small pullouts on the south side of the highway, each holding about four or five cars; when they fill, people park on both shoulders, and those on the north side must cross two-way traffic moving at 45 mph or more with no crosswalk. From the pullouts, visitors step over the guardrail and scramble down one of two short paths over loose rock and timbers; the eastern path is the steeper and more slippery. No parking pass or fee is required. The site is managed by the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which has considered closing access because of trampled plants, litter and graffiti.
When to go
The falls flow year-round. At peak water the ledge disappears under a long, flat white flume, and the drop becomes more distinct as the river falls.
On site
A safety kiosk stands only at the top of the western path. Rope swings hang on both banks, and the county's assessment links them to injuries and deaths; rescues here often require rappelling. In March 2024 two men fell into the falls and did not resurface, the county sheriff reported, and in September 2026 a man found unresponsive in the water died. The falls are rated a class 5+ rapid for expert kayakers only, and one kayaker has died attempting it. Swift current and cold water are the main hazards; stay out of the river.
History and name
A photograph from around 1910 shows the falls. The county's interpretive plan notes traditional stories about the falls and leaves it to the Tulalip Tribes to decide which to share.
Nearby
Canyon Falls, on private land closed to the public, is about 1.1 miles downstream. Sunset Falls, also closed, is about 1.7 miles away, and Bridal Veil Falls about 2.6 miles. Gold Bar is the nearest town.
Distances are straight-line.