Rodney Falls is a 130-foot tiered horsetail waterfall on Hardy Creek in Beacon Rock State Park, Skamania County, Washington, on the Hamilton Mountain Trail. Its top tier pours into an enclosed alcove called the Pool of the Winds.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database, which surveyed the falls in person, counts four drops. Hardy Creek first falls 55 feet off a ledge into the alcove, where it has carved a deep round pool. The water leaves through a slot no more than 3 feet wide in a burst of spray, then drops about 70 feet more down three steps to the trail. Earlier surveys listed 80 feet.
Getting there
The falls are on the Hamilton Mountain Trail, which starts at the Hamilton Mountain Trailhead in Beacon Rock State Park and climbs through old-growth Douglas fir. The out-and-back hike to Rodney Falls is 2.2 miles with 700 feet of gain. A junction sits about 1.4 miles up the trail; the left fork leads to the Pool of the Winds viewpoint, and the main trail crosses a footbridge below the falls and continues toward the summit.
The park is open 8 a.m. to dusk year-round. Parking requires a Discover Pass, $10 for a day or $45 for a year.
When to go
Winter through spring brings the strongest flow, with the stream dropping to a trickle later in the year. In 2026 the park closes the separate Beacon Rock Trail Tuesdays through Thursdays from October 1 to May 31 for deck work; the notice does not include the Hamilton Mountain Trail.
On site
There are two views. The short spur to the Pool of the Winds ends at a confined overlook where wind-driven spray blows out of the alcove, so expect to get wet. The footbridge below gives a straight-on view of the lower steps. Dogs are allowed on a leash.
Nearby
Hardy Falls is about 0.1 mile away on the same creek and trail. Aldrich Falls is about 1.6 miles away, and Woodward Falls and Mowitch Falls are about 2.1 and 2.3 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.