Sight · Mount Rainier National Park
A quick roadside waterfall view in Stevens Canyon.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Rainier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Mount Rainier audio tourRecorded for this place
Martha Falls: The View Across the Canyon“Martha Falls viewpoint is coming up on Stevens Canyon Road. Stop here for the view across the forested canyon, where Unicorn Creek drops over a volcanic cliff, with the Tatoosh Range beyond.”
Plays as you drive up to Martha Falls in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Martha Falls is a waterfall in Stevens Canyon, where Unicorn Creek drops over a volcanic cliff into a forested canyon. The easiest look is from the pullout on Stevens Canyon Road, with an interpretive panel and a southwest-facing view across the falls toward the Tatoosh Range. If you're driving this stretch, stop here for the canyon view; seeing the falls closer takes a real hike.
The Wonderland Trail reaches a higher cascade associated with Martha Falls. A route from the small trailhead beside Stevens Canyon Road is about 1.8 miles round trip with 730 feet of climbing; parking is limited and the trail sign can be easy to miss. A separate approach from Reflection Lakes is much longer, about 4.2 miles to the cascade. Pick your starting point before you set off.
Unicorn Creek comes from Snow Lake and crosses the edge of an old lava flow before spilling down the canyon. The cliff formed about 90,000 years ago, when lava flowed between the glacier that filled Stevens Canyon and the Tatoosh Range. The rock columns still point almost sideways, showing the direction the lava cooled against the ice.
Stevens Canyon Road usually opens to vehicles from June through October, though conditions can shift the dates. The roadside pullout is the simplest way to see the falls; the trail approaches take more time and climbing.
Wildlife
466 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
383 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
574 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,853 sightingsHoary MarmotMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Rainier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateBench and Snow Lake Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.7 mi awayTwo lakes and Rainier views, reached by a short, rolling trail.
ModerateHigh Lakes Loop Trail3 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.7 mi awayA short ridge loop ends at a bluff above the lakes.
ModeratePinnacle Peak Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 1.8 mi awayA short, steep climb to a saddle with Rainier views.
ChallengingSkyline Trail Loop5.5 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA strenuous Paradise loop past glaciers, Panorama Point and Myrtle Falls.
ModerateAlta Vista Trail Loop1.7 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA short climb opens broad views of Paradise and the Tatoosh.
ChallengingPebble Creek Trail4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.4 mi awayClimb through Paradise meadows to the edge of the Muir Snowfield.
ModerateGolden Gate Loop Trail4 mi · 3 hr · 2.4 mi awayWildflower meadows, Myrtle Falls and a high notch above Paradise.
ModerateNarada Falls Trail from Paradise3.1 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.4 mi awayThe longer Paradise walk drops to the foot of a 168-foot waterfall.
Sight · 0.9 mi awaySylvia FallsA 43-foot fan of water folded into a narrow canyon.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayReflection LakesA mountain reflection with a rocky loop to Faraway Rock.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayStevens–Van Trump MonumentA carved stone bench marks Rainier's first documented ascent.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayRuby FallsA two-tier cascade hides beneath the bridge, just above Narada Falls.
Lodging · 2.3 mi awayParadise InnA grand timber lodge with a 14-foot clock and trail access.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayEdith Gorge FallsA short roadside stop for Edith Creek's steep, narrow gorge.
Visitor center · 2.4 mi awayParadise Wilderness Information CenterGet climbing help where summit attempts have begun since 1922.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayParadise Ski-Tow PowerhouseA little A-frame recalls Paradise’s lift-served ski years.Parkwolf’s Mount Rainier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
