Gorge Creek Falls

Gorge Creek Falls is a five-drop, 242-foot waterfall beside State Route 20 at mile 123.4. The pedestrian bridge gives you a close look straight down into the narrow gorge above Gorge Lake, and you can hear the falls from the parking area. It is a quick roadside stop, not a hike; use the marked crosswalk to reach the bridge.

The metal bridge deck is grated, so you can see through it; it may feel exposed and can be slippery when wet. The close view follows the water down the rock cleft. Look along the bridge toward Gorge Lake for a wider frame with the lake and gorge; the upper tier is partly hidden from the bridge angle.

The falls run year-round, but snowmelt makes them strongest in spring and early summer. By late summer or early fall, visitors sometimes find only a trickle. Highway 20 closes seasonally, so check road conditions before planning your drive around this stop.

The water drops into Gorge Lake, then passes through Gorge Powerhouse on its way to the Skagit River. Gorge Dam sits nearby, so the short stop puts the waterfall in the middle of a working hydroelectric landscape.

Major floods in 2003 swept away trees and large boulders and scoured the canyon walls; October floods altered the cascade again. That flood history helps explain the rugged, boulder-lined channel around the falls.

The Gorge Overlook Trail is a different walk from the bridge view. Its first 0.3 mile is paved and accessible; beyond that, a 0.5-mile unpaved forest loop returns to the parking area. The trail also passes another waterfall and opens onto Gorge Lake and Gorge Dam, rather than taking you closer to Gorge Creek Falls.