It’s 9 p.m., you’ve made promises to take the kids out for a weekend adventure, but you don’t have anything planned yet. You quickly search “nearby waterfall hikes” on your phone and pray that Google comes through for you. Most times, they do.
What no one ever tells you is that you don’t have to go to a national park, or take time off of work. Many of the best waterfall hikes around the country are fairly short, easy to access, and won’t ruin your knees. Here are six of them which frequently appear in real hiking guides, and the best way to find the best hiking trails near me with waterfalls if any of these are not close by.
Multnomah Falls, Oregon
This is a very difficult hike indeed, considering you can view it without having to take even one step at all. The height of the Multnomah Falls is 620 feet as seen from the road across the Columbia River Gorge. There is a path paved with stones, which leads to Benson Bridge from where you can view the waterfall. Make sure to be there before 10 a.m. on a Saturday as you will find that the car park gets filled within no time during summer months.
Ricketts Glen State Park, Pennsylvania
Twenty-two waterfalls in one circuit. Twenty-two. The Falls Trail is around 7 miles of walking through ancient forest, rough and slippery at places enough to make flip flops a really bad choice.Wear real shoes here. I’ve seen people slide on the stone steps near Ganoga Falls in dry weather, so wet weather is worse. Families who skip the full loop usually just do the shorter Ganoga Glen section and still come away having seen half a dozen falls. Honestly, the smarter move for anyone under ten.
DuPont State Forest, North Carolina
It feels like somewhere you’ve seen before, even though you’ve never been there, due to a few of the waterfalls being used in movies and television. The falls of Triple Falls and High Falls are near each other, on wide, gravel walkways that are fairly level enough to accommodate a stroller if you watch your step. Great place for children or anyone with bad knees. The flat rocks near the falls are basically made for a picnic.
Amicalola Falls, Georgia
With a height of 729 feet, this waterfall is the tallest waterfall with cascading water on the east side of the Mississippi. A total of 600 metal steps makes their way up parallel to the water, and to my embarrassment had spent my energy already before reaching the 400th step.
Havasu Falls, Arizona
Green-blue water in the middle of the desert. Even the photos do not make this spot look real, and seeing it makes it seem even less real. This is a trip for those who are serious about their hiking and have no problems with long-distance travel. On the Havasupai Indian reservation, both ways must traverse 10 miles with prior permission sought from the tribe months prior.
Yosemite’s Mist Trail, California
The name is unfairly understated. After some climbing and a walk over rocks, the trail brings trekkers to Vernal Falls, which has a height of 317 feet, and to Nevada Fall. Visiting the site in spring and summer will be worth it as the traveler would get drenched from the mist of Vernal Falls even without rain.The full round trip runs around 5.4 miles with a real climb in the middle and more water than feels necessary at the trailhead.
How to Find One Near You
Not everyone lives two hours from Yosemite. Most of us don’t. However, almost all states boast at least a few good waterfall trails close to a big city, including the flat ones. It is just about knowing where to find them. You just have to know where to look.
Start with your state park website. Most have a trail map you can filter by feature, and waterfalls almost always get their own tag. Trail apps help too, mainly because recent hiker comments tell you the stuff a park website won’t, like whether the falls dried up last month or the lot fills before 8 a.m. on weekends.
Our hiking guides by state go deeper on drive times and seasonal water flow if you want to plan before you load the car instead of figuring it out at the trailhead.
Go Before the Flow Drops Off
The best waterfall hikes don’t need to be long or difficult; all they require is running water and trailheads you can find with only two incorrect turns. Take a look at our list of hiking trips for other waterfall hikes closer to you, toss a rain coat in the car even if it’s clear skies, and head out before summer waters get reduced to a trickle.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the waterfall flow peak?
Right after snowmelt, usually spring. A lot of western waterfalls slow down or dry up by late summer. Check recent trail reports from the National Park Service before you drive out for nothing.
Are these hikes okay for kids?
Plenty are, especially the paved or gravel ones like Multnomah or DuPont. Watch them near the top of any falls or on wet rock ledges. That’s where most slips happen, not on the flat trail itself.
Do I need a permit?
Normally not. Havasu Falls is one of the exceptions as it requires the reservation through the Havasupai Tribe. Some forest trailheads require a parking permit too. You can find out this information by checking the US forest service website for that particular forest.
How do I know if a trail is actually open?
Start with the park or forest website, since storms and wildfire season close things fast without much warning. After that, recent trail app reviews will tell you what the water and the trail look like right now, not last season.