Quartz Canyon Falls

RATING - 41.2

VR - 3.6 (Sm/M) HR - 7.0 SR - 16/20

TYPE OF APPROACH - Bushwhack

DIFFICULTY - Very Difficult

LOCATION - Ross Lake Area

TYPE - Tiered

HEIGHT - 232'

WIDTH - 30'

DIRECTIONS - Follow the directions to Cascade Crest Falls. Climb up the right side of the creek and proceed to climb up the very steep ridge until you hear and see the falls through the trees. Climb back down the steep canyon to views. Getting to the base is possible but it requires some work. The falls are only about 800' from the highway (horizontally), but you'll need to climb up about 550' and then back down another 150' to see the falls, then you have to do it all in reverse.

Quartz Canyon Falls was a wonderful surprise when I discovered it. I had known about and photographed the lovely Cascade Crest Falls for several years before I begun to wonder what was located upstream. While the waterfall is not visible on aerial images that are currently available, I became convinced enough that I decided to take a look upstream. What I discovered was a beautiful 232' tall waterfall located in a steep, deep, and heavily forested canyon.

The waterfall begins with a 141' plunge that spreads out to around 30' wide as it falls. The creek then runs over 37' worth of cascades before plunging another 54' in the final tier. Because of the amount of trees around the canyon, it's pretty difficult to see the upper tier from the base. I suspect when the volume is lower and the sun is in a better position (it was directly over the top of the falls when I went), one can get some nice pictures from the base.