Mystery Falls
   Skagit County, Washington

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

An unnamed creek splashes down a grooved rock face adjacent to the Cascade River Road. This is the first of many waterfalls encountered along this road en route to the Cascade Pass trailhead inside North Cascades National Park. From the road, a two-tiered waterfall is visible, but there are likely more tiers of the falls above what is seen from the road. The upper tier of the visible portion of the falls is difficult to see when the surrounding trees are in leaf. There is also some kind of shed, house, shack, or whatever, situated just to the left of the top of the visible part of the falls, and the road leading up to it is gated and locked (with barbed wire if I remember right). Obviously, the land owner doesn't want people snooping around up there, so be satisfied with the roadside views. The stream appears to run most of the year, but it loses volume later in the summer.

HISTORY AND NAMING INFORMATION

• Mystery Falls is the Unofficial name of this waterfall.
• Known Alternate Names: Lookout Mountain Falls, Get Down Falls

I've named the falls such because when I first found the falls, I though it was on nearby Day Creek, but upon studying the topo maps, I began to doubt that it was. So the watercourse remained a 'mystery' until I returned and verified that it was in fact not on Day Creek. The 4th edition of the book "A Waterfall Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest" calls this one Lookout Mountain Falls, and Bob Mooers' "Waterfall Finders Guide: Western Washington Series 1" calls it Get Down Falls after a patch of graffiti'ed rock above the waterfall (likely pertaining to the aforementioned private land at the top of the falls).

LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS

Driving east along US 20, enter the town of Marblemount. At a bend in the highway (in the middle of town), keep straight across the bridge spanning the Skagit River, when Highway 20 makes a sharp left. This is the Cascade River Road, which ends in 23 miles, at the Cascade Pass trailhead. Proceed just under 4 1/2 miles from US 20, along the Cascade River Road, to where the falls are visible right next to the road. Ample parking room is available.