Purdue Falls is a waterfall on Ridley Creek in Whatcom County, Washington, in the North Cascades region, with a total height of about 103 feet. It lies about 19.9 miles southeast of Peaceful Valley and roughly 28.7 miles east of Bellingham as the crow flies.
At 103 feet it is taller than the typical Washington waterfall of about 82 feet, ranking 392nd of 941 with a recorded height. The water comes down as a plunge, where the water drops vertically and loses contact with the rock face.
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.
There are 348 recorded waterfalls in Whatcom County. Cravens Falls, a 150-foot horsetail waterfall, is about 1 miles away. Middle Fork Nooksack Falls, an 81-foot tiered horsetail waterfall, is about 1.5 miles away. Lower Middle Fork Nooksack Falls, 43 feet high, is about 1.6 miles away.
Purdue Falls is located at 48.7214° N, 121.8607° 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.