Wells Creek Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wells Creek Falls |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Lua error in Module:Infobox_mapframe at line 185: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Mount Baker Wilderness |
| Coordinates | 48°51′54″N 121°45′51″W / 48.86500°N 121.76417°W |
| Type | Plunge |
| Total height | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Number of drops | 1 |
| Total width | 10 feet (3.0 m) |
| Watercourse | Wells Creek |
| Average flow rate |
250 cubic feet per second (7.1 m3/s) |
Wells Creek Falls is a beautiful waterfall located in the Mount Baker Wilderness in Washington. It's a popular spot for people exploring the area around Mount Baker. This amazing waterfall is found on Wells Creek, a few thousand feet before it joins another creek called Bar Creek.
What Makes Wells Creek Falls Special?
Wells Creek Falls is one of the most well-known waterfalls near Mount Baker. It's a single "plunge" waterfall, meaning the water falls straight down without touching the rock face. The water drops about 90 feet (27 m) into a small, narrow valley called a gorge. This gorge actually starts right at the falls!
A bit downstream from the falls, Wells Creek flows under Wells Creek Road. Right after passing under the road, it meets Bar Creek, which is Wells Creek's only major branch. Instead of a bridge, a large pipe-like structure called a culvert carries the creek under the road.
Sometimes, people get Wells Creek Falls mixed up with a much bigger waterfall called Mazama Falls. Mazama Falls is about two kilometers upstream. It's funny because Mazama Falls has an official name, but almost no one has ever seen it up close. Wells Creek Falls, on the other hand, is visited regularly by people driving on Wells Creek Road, even though it doesn't have an official name!
How to Visit Wells Creek Falls
Getting to Wells Creek Falls is not too difficult, even though it's not as super easy as reaching Nooksack Falls. The falls are located about 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) up Wells Creek Road from Nooksack Falls. The road is in pretty good shape for a logging road, which is a road mainly used by trucks to transport timber. However, the road gets rougher past the falls.
Once you reach the creek crossing on Wells Creek Road, you can walk up the wide streambed to get a great view of the falls. You might get a little wet, depending on how high the water in the creek is, because you'll need to cross the creek at least once to get a close-up view. You can also see the falls right from the road crossing, but some trees might block part of your view.
