Ketchum Creek Falls is a 161-foot horsetail waterfall on Ketchum Creek in Whatcom County, Washington, in the Skagit River watershed. It pours down beside State Route 20 about 4 miles east of Newhalem, close enough to see from the car.
The falls
The falls forms a single horsetail of 161 feet, give or take 5 feet, about 15 feet wide. The water drops into a recess in the cliff and then runs across a boulder field toward the highway. The creek is fed by runoff and can nearly dry up in late summer.
Getting there
Drive State Route 20 east from Newhalem for about 4 miles; the falls are on the left for eastbound drivers. A large turnout sits on the south side of the road just east of the falls. There is no entrance fee for the North Cascades National Park Complex. Snow usually closes the highway over the mountains from late November or early December until April or early May.
When to go
March to July brings the best flow. Autumn after rain is also popular, when the trees along the creek turn orange, red and yellow.
On site
The falls are seen from the roadside turnout, or visitors can scramble up the creek bed for a closer look at the main drop.
History and name
The falls is also known as Davis Creek Falls. An October 2003 flood scoured debris from the base, which may have added several feet to the visible height.
Nearby
Bouck Falls is about 0.7 mile away and Gorge Creek Falls about 0.9 mile. Davis Peak Falls is about 2.2 miles off, and Stetattle Creek Falls about 2.3 miles.
Distances are straight-line.