Shuksan Creek Falls

RATING - 72.0

VR - 6.0 (Med) HR - 9.0 SR - 18/20

TYPE OF APPROACH - Bushwhack

DIFFICULTY - Extremely Difficult

LOCATION - Shuksan Creek Valley

TYPE - Tiered

HEIGHT - 558'

WIDTH - 30'

DIRECTIONS - No directions provided. Difficult access.

Shuksan Creek Falls is one of the best waterfalls in the North Cascades. Large volume Shuksan Creek drops a total of well over 500' in a series of drops. The falls begin with a huge plunging drop that is deeply recessed into the cliff. As it leaves the canyon, it slides and plunges another 100' over a dome of rock. From there it continues to cascade to the bottom, 558' below where the whole thing started.

On the east side of the valley stands the massive face of Mt. Shuksan with East Shuksan Falls pouring hundreds of feet down the side. On the west side is another huge cliff and West Shuksan Creek Falls enters the valley from way above. That stream was almost completely dry on my visit though. The entire valley is one of the more rugged place I've ever visited, and one gets the quick impression that very few humans have ever been in there (although I did find evidence that at least one other person has been).