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Lemah Creek Falls
   Kittitas County, Washington

[ Physical Makeup ]  [ Pictures ]  [ Maps ]  [ Update History ]

The USGS topographic maps show two waterfalls on Lemah Creek between the upper basin meadows and the Pacific Crest Trail. In reality, there is essentially a long series of falls that are difficult to consider multiple waterfalls because one starts just as soon as another ends. However, because the entire series of falls is impossible to see or photograph together, and there is a significant flat "step" at one point, there is a logical location to divide the cascades in two according to the map. This, the lower of the two, consists of three main drops. The first is an S-shaped chute of about 25 feet. The run-out of this drop quickly leads into a 40-foot fall, which is rather difficult to photograph without climbing precariously close to the wet rocks. This drop ends on a bedrock ledge, which then feeds a 102-foot series of steep cascades which drops into a large pool at the very bottom of the formation. The lower 130 feet of the falls can be partially seen from the Pacific Crest Trail on the north side of the bridge over Lemah Creek, but getting close requires some moderate bushwhacking, and a possible ford of the creek (possibly difficult when the creek is running high).

HISTORY AND NAMING INFORMATION

  • Lemah Creek Falls is the Unofficial name of this waterfall.

LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS

difficult access

Lemah Creek Falls can be seen from the Pacific Crest Trail where it crosses Lemah Creek. Closer approaches to the falls are had by bushwhacking upstream from the trail to the base of the falls (the left side of the creek is easiest), or by following the Lemah Basin route upstream to the upper parts of the falls. The shortest route to the falls is 6 1/4 miles via the Pete Lake trail. The hike is flat and can be done in a day if so desired, but the area is exceptionally scenic and should be properly explored overnight.

Latitude

47.47574 N

Longitude

-121.26337 W

Elevation

3237 feet

USGS Quadrangle

Chikamin Peak 7 1/2"

Online USGS Topographic maps on Terraserver

Aerial Photographs: Terraserver | Flash Earth

Download KML

Open this location in Google Earth

OTHER NEARBY WATERFALLS

Name

Distance

Middle Lemah Creek Falls

0.289 miles

Spectacle Lake Falls

1.569 miles

Whinnimic Falls

1.644 miles

Delate Creek Falls

1.847 miles

Upper Lemah Valley Falls

2.053 miles

Chimney Rock Falls

2.345 miles

Spectacle Basin Falls

2.506 miles

Chikamin Lake Falls

2.724 miles

Four Brothers Falls

2.826 miles

Glacier Lake Falls

2.85 miles

 

 

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Magnitude

41.85

IWC

3.08  (Class 4)

RATING

55.11 %

 

Photo of Lemah Creek Falls

[ View Pictures ]

 

PHYSICAL MAKEUP

Height

165 feet

Tallest Drop

102 feet

Num. Drops

4

AVG. Width

25 feet

Pitch

68 degrees

Run

500 feet

Primary Form

Tiered Horsetails

 

Watershed

Yakima River

Stream

Lemah Creek

AVG. Volume

75.0 cfs

Source

Glacier

Seasonality

Best Flows

May to August

 
 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Search for Lemah Creek Falls on Google

Information on this waterfall at the World Waterfall Database

Search for more pictures at:
Flickr | PBase | Webshots | Smugmug

       
 

UPDATE HISTORY

Jul 25, 2011

Added a picture(s) of this waterfall

 
 
 
 
 

 

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