Hard Scrabble Falls is a waterfall on Hard Scrabble Falls Creek in Whatcom County, Washington, in the North Cascades region, with a total height of about 280 feet. It lies about 5.9 miles northeast of Sudden Valley and roughly 11.8 miles east of Bellingham as the crow flies.
At 280 feet it stands in the tallest quarter of Washington’s 941 waterfalls with a recorded height, ranking 140th; the typical Washington waterfall is about 82 feet. The tallest single drop is 160 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 North Cascades are a wilderness of jagged peaks, glaciers and deep, forested valleys of western hemlock, silver fir and Douglas fir, with some of the heaviest snowfall in the country. Meltwater from glaciers and snowfields pours down thousands of feet of cliffs in countless cascades and horsetail falls. Hard Scrabble Falls Creek carries 2 recorded waterfalls, and Hard Scrabble Falls is the tallest of them.
There are 348 recorded waterfalls in Whatcom County. Upper Hard Scrabble Falls, is under a mile away. Sygitowicz Creek Falls, a 250-foot tiered plunge waterfall, is under a mile away. Standard Falls, is about 1 miles away.
Hard Scrabble Falls is located at 48.7599° N, 122.2297° 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 creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.