Racehorse Falls is a 139-foot tiered plunge waterfall on Racehorse Creek in Whatcom County, Washington, in the forested foothills off North Fork Road near Kendall. It drops in four steps, and a short forest trail on state land managed by the Department of Natural Resources leads to overlooks above them.
The falls
The creek opens with two punchbowl plunges of 19 and 44 feet, each into a deep pool. Below the second, it speeds down a ramp-like cascade for about 15 feet before the final drop, the tallest at 61 feet, fans out over a bedrock ramp into a large basin. The falls form where Chuckanut Sandstone meets glacial drift, with conglomerate bedrock below; fossils in the area include a palm frond. The creek runs all year, at about 100 cubic feet per second for eight months and around 35 for the other four.
Getting there
Access to state lands off North Fork Road, including Racehorse Creek Falls, is closed from June through October 2026 for replacement of a 50-foot bridge about 1.5 miles past the end of the pavement. A temporary gate blocks the road during construction.
In normal conditions, parking is on the south side of North Fork Road. The walk is 0.7 mile round trip with 103 feet of gain, rated easy and taking about 30 minutes. Vehicles need a Discover Pass, $10 per day or $45 per year.
When to go
The World Waterfall Database rates it a year-round waterfall, with the highest flow over roughly eight months of the year. Check the road status before any visit until the bridge work is announced as finished.
On site
The trail passes through mossy forest with large ferns and old-growth stumps. Two viewpoints overlook the falls: a safer view from the top at about 0.36 mile, and a lower one reached by a steep descent near 0.3 mile. The cliffs are high and the ground turns wet and slippery. In September 2024, a woman survived a fall of more than 150 feet here with serious injuries, and three days later rescuers hauled out a man who could not climb back up from the brink of the lower falls. Stay behind the cliff edge. Dogs must be leashed, and the area is cougar habitat.
History and name
The falls are also called Racehorse Creek Falls. In 2009, after heavy winter rain, a debris avalanche slid into Racehorse Creek about 400 feet upstream. The outburst flood that followed swept out large boulders, scoured the basin and destroyed one of the approach trails, while opening up the view of the falls.
Nearby
Coal Creek Falls is about 2.1 miles away, Triple Crown Falls about 2.6 miles and Maple Falls on Maple Creek about 3.9 miles. Bellingham lies about 18.5 miles to the southwest.
Distances are straight-line.
