Lower Lillian Creek Falls

The Happy Panther Trail runs from near Happy Creek to Panther Creek and parallels the highway the entire way. In fact, for much of the trail the cars on the highway can be easily heard driving past, which takes away from the enjoyment of the trail a bit. Near the eastern end of the trail are two waterfalls that are fairly similar in overall make-up. Both waterfalls consist of four individual tiers, both waterfalls can be glimpsed from their respective bridges along the trail, both are surrounded by really pretty, moss-lined hillsides, and both waterfalls end in the Ruby Arm of Ross Lake.

Lower Lillian Creek Falls is a gorgeous series of drops located just downstream from the trail. The falls begin with a pretty 44' horsetail immediately below the bridge over the creek (below left). The creek then immediately cascades for another 28' (below center). The third tier is a very pretty 42' drop that spreads out to 30' wide as it tumbles down the cliff (below right). The creek then cascades for 20' before plunging 30' into a gorgeous little cove of Ross Lake in a pretty fan-shaped drop. This final drop can't be seen clearly from the shore, but it would be a cool spot to take a kayak into. It's a little tricky to get a clear view of the upper tier as well. The picture below was taken from a very steep hillside. If you scramble down the falls, continue the whole way down to the lakeshore. It's about 200 vertical feet from the trail to the lake and it's a cool spot to hang out and eat lunch.