Switchback Cascades is a 118-foot waterfall on Box Canyon Creek in Kittitas County, Washington, in the North Cascades region. It lies about 20.3 miles east of Tanner and roughly 38.6 miles southeast of Sammamish as the crow flies.
At 118 feet it is taller than the typical Washington waterfall of about 82 feet, ranking 358th of 941 with a recorded height. By form it is a cascade, descending over a series of rock steps rather than in a single drop.
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. Box Canyon Creek carries 5 recorded waterfalls, and Switchback Cascades is the tallest of them.
Kittitas County holds 86 recorded waterfalls, and several are close by. Headwall Falls, is under a mile away. Lower Rachel Lake Falls, is under a mile away. Alta Basin Falls, a 115-foot tiered cascade waterfall, is under a mile away.
Switchback Cascades is located at 47.4220° N, 121.3188° 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 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.