Alpine Falls

RATING - 32.0

VR - 8.0. (Big) HR - 2.0 SR - 16/20

TYPE OF APPROACH - Bushwhack

DIFFICULTY - Easy

LOCATION - Stevens Pass Area

TYPE - Fan

HEIGHT - 40'

WIDTH - 75'

DIRECTIONS - Drive east from Everett on Highway 2. Drive past Skykomish for 8.5 miles. Park at the small turnout just past the bridge crossing the Tye River and follow the bootpath on the south side of the highway to the top of the falls. Views from the base are fairly easy to come by as well.

Alpine Falls is a really cool waterfall where the Tye River dumps over a big semi-circular slab of granite. The falls have a fan shape but at a much lower angle than most falls of this type. The falls actually look better when the volume is lower, but they are much more impressive at higher volumes (see additional picture below). Alpine Falls used to be visible from the highway, but now a very short trip off the road is required. In order to get to the base of the falls, a very short, but fairly steep climb down the hillside is required. It's nothing horrible, but might be a little too steep for some.