Kautz Creek Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kautz Creek Falls |
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| Location | Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington |
| Coordinates | 46°48′37″N 121°46′52″W / 46.8104°N 121.7810°W |
| Type | Tiered |
| Total height | 400 feet (120 m) |
| Number of drops | 4 |
| Total width | 15 feet (4.6 m) |
| Watercourse | Kautz Creek |
Kautz Creek Falls is a beautiful waterfall found in the amazing Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. It's a special place because of how it was formed. The falls drop down a tall cliff, reaching a total height of about 400 feet (122 meters).
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What is Kautz Creek Falls?
Kautz Creek Falls is a series of waterfalls on Kautz Creek. It's called a tiered waterfall because the water falls in several steps or levels. The highest single drop is about 150 feet (46 meters). This makes it a very tall and impressive sight for visitors to the park.
How the Falls Were Formed
These falls are quite new in terms of geology. They were created in the last 50 years as the Kautz Glacier slowly moved backward, or retreated. Imagine a giant river of ice. As this ice melts and shrinks, it leaves behind new landscapes. In this case, the retreating glacier carved out a tall cliff. The water from the melting glacier then started to flow over this cliff, creating the waterfalls we see today.
The Two Parts of the Falls
Kautz Creek Falls has two main sections, and each section has two smaller drops. One part of the waterfall actually flows from the upper section of the Kautz Glacier. This water is usually very clear. However, as the water goes under the lower part of the glacier, it picks up a lot of dirt and rock. This dirt and rock is called glacial moraine. Moraine is like a pile of debris that a glacier leaves behind. This is why Kautz Creek often looks muddy.
Nearby Waterfalls
A few miles to the west of Kautz Creek Falls, you can find another waterfall called Pearl Falls. Pearl Falls is on Pearl Creek, which is a smaller stream that eventually flows into Kautz Creek.
