Pearl Falls
Encyclopedia
Pearl Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Mount Rainier National Park
in the U.S. state
of Washington. It is fed by the glacial Pearl Creek, occurring about halfway along the creek's course.
The falls plunge about 400 feet (121.9 m) off a sheer columnar basalt cliff, unbroken for almost 200 feet (61 m), into an amphitheater-like basin, similar in form to the main drop of nearby Comet Falls
. The columnar basalt was likely formed by cooled eruptions of Mount Rainier, which is a stratovolcano
. Near the base, it crashes onto a rock ledge and fans out towards the left bank, before dropping again vertically onto a pile of talus
and cascading downwards. It is located in a steep canyon on the southwest face of Mount Rainier
. Pearl Creek drains to another glacial stream, Pyramid Creek, which parallels then flows into Kautz Creek
and finally into the Nisqually River
. There are also more cascades below the main drop of Pearl Falls.
Access to the falls is extremely difficult, requiring at least two days to reach safely on foot. However, the falls can also be seen distantly from Ricksetter Point on the Mount Rainier Highway
.
Pearl Falls was named in 1912 by Albert Henry Barnes, a photographer from Tacoma. He named the falls for the fact that its spray resembled pearls under the right lighting conditions. Pearl Creek presumably took its name from the falls.
On Kautz Creek only a few miles to the east, is Kautz Creek Falls
.
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was one of the US's earliest National Parks, having been established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park contains...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. It is fed by the glacial Pearl Creek, occurring about halfway along the creek's course.
The falls plunge about 400 feet (121.9 m) off a sheer columnar basalt cliff, unbroken for almost 200 feet (61 m), into an amphitheater-like basin, similar in form to the main drop of nearby Comet Falls
Comet Falls
Comet Falls is a tall waterfall located on Van Trump Creek in Pierce County, Washington. The falls are thought to be the best in the Mount Rainier region.- Stature :...
. The columnar basalt was likely formed by cooled eruptions of Mount Rainier, which is a stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
. Near the base, it crashes onto a rock ledge and fans out towards the left bank, before dropping again vertically onto a pile of talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
and cascading downwards. It is located in a steep canyon on the southwest face of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
. Pearl Creek drains to another glacial stream, Pyramid Creek, which parallels then flows into Kautz Creek
Kautz Creek
Kautz Creek is a tributary of the Nisqually River, flowing from the Kautz Glacier, with its watershed in the Mount Rainier National Park of Washington. It drains southwest from Mount Rainier for about before it joins the Nisqually River near Mount Rainier Highway. It is notable for being a severe...
and finally into the Nisqually River
Nisqually River
The Nisqually River is a river in west central Washington in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Cascade Range southwest of Tacoma, including the southern slope of Mount Rainier, and empties into the southern end of Puget Sound....
. There are also more cascades below the main drop of Pearl Falls.
Access to the falls is extremely difficult, requiring at least two days to reach safely on foot. However, the falls can also be seen distantly from Ricksetter Point on the Mount Rainier Highway
Washington State Route 706
State Route 706 is a state highway in Pierce County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends from SR 7 in the census-designated place of Elbe east to the Longmire gate of Mount Rainier National Park.The highway formerly was part of the Tacoma – Mount Rainier branch of Primary...
.
Pearl Falls was named in 1912 by Albert Henry Barnes, a photographer from Tacoma. He named the falls for the fact that its spray resembled pearls under the right lighting conditions. Pearl Creek presumably took its name from the falls.
On Kautz Creek only a few miles to the east, is Kautz Creek Falls
Kautz Creek Falls
Kautz Creek Falls is a waterfall on Kautz Creek in the Mount Rainier National Park in the state of Washington. It was formed when the Kautz Glacier retreated in the last 50 years, creating a series of long and slender cascades totaling about in height down a tall glacial cliff, with a highest drop...
.