Tamqwilas Falls

RATING - 24.6

VR - 1.8 (Small) HR - 7.0 SR - 12/20

TYPE OF APPROACH - Bushwhack

DIFFICULTY - Fairly Difficult

LOCATION - South Fork Nooksack

TYPE - Tiered

HEIGHT - 220'

WIDTH - 15'

GPS - N48 40.540 W121 52.785

ELEVATION - 2788'

DIRECTIONS - Take the Baker Lake Road to FR 12 signed for Schriebers Meadows and the South Fork Nooksack. Follow this road for around 6 miles and take the left where the road forks (the right becomes FR 13). In another few miles take the right road through a seasonal gate (the left goes up to the Blue Lake Trailhead). Continue along the road for another few miles. You should see Loomis Mountain Falls on the right. Continue another 1/4 to the next creek. The falls are located about 1/3 of a mile upstream. Stay on the top of the ridge on the left side of the creek until you get to about 2600' elevation then head down to the creek.

Tamqwilas Falls is a tall waterfall located on a very small seasonal stream. The falls begin with a sheer plunge of about 100' in height. This is followed by a pretty 30' cascade and then a 90' tall horsetailing bottom tier. As mentioned, the creek is very seasonal but when the snow is melting this is an impressive waterfall. Unfortunately, the road used to access the falls is closed until July 1st each summer. This means that the highest volume times for the creek are usually over once the waterfall is accessible. If you choose to visit Tamqwilas Falls, do it as soon as the road opens or wait until a stretch of rainy days in October. The trip in to the waterfall is not horribly brushy or difficult but it is tiring. The waterfall is also visible from a distance on the way to Bridal Veil Falls.

Tamqwilas is a Nooksack word meaning "springtime". Because of the seasonal nature of the creek, I thought the name was fitting.