Everyone has their own opinion about which waterfalls are the “greatest,” and we agree with them all. There is something extraordinary and moving about waterfalls, from the great Niagara to the smallest set of tiers on a stream. So, we are not calling these the “Greatest Waterfalls of the United States” but honoring our respect for their fantastic majesty and beauty, their ability to absorb our attention completely.
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Cumberland Falls - Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Corbin, KY, US
Cumberland Falls - Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Corbin, KY, US
Cumberland Falls, on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky, is in Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and is part of the Kentucky Nature Preserves and a designated Wild River System. During a full moon, it is possible to see a lunar rainbow created by the falling water and mist. The falls are 68 feet (21 m) high and 125 feet (38 m) wide, making it the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River, second only to Niagara.
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Tahquamenon Falls - Tahquamenon Falls State Park, MI, US
Tahquamenon Falls - Tahquamenon Falls State Park, MI, US
Just before the Tahquamenon River empties into Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are the Tahquamenon Falls. They are one of the largest waterfalls in the eastern half of the United States and the largest in Michigan. Tannins in the water from the cedar swamps upriver give a dark brown color to the water and the nickname “Root Beer Falls.” Tahquamenon Falls are a part of Michigan’s Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The falls are 48 feet (15 m) high and more than 200 feet (60 m) wide.
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Havasu Falls - Grand Canyon, Arizona, US, within Havasupai tribal lands
Havasu Falls - Grand Canyon, Arizona, US, within Havasupai tribal lands
Calcium carbonate in the water of Havasu Creek creates a vivid blue-green color in the water and the pool beneath the falls. Although the water now falls down the cliff’s 90-foot (27 m) drop, in the past, the changing configuration of the ledge has changed the pattern of the water flow, and the falls were once known as Bridal Veil Falls.
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Burney Falls - McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, Shasta County, California, US
Burney Falls - McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, Shasta County, California, US
Burney Falls is a waterfall on Burney Creek, within McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, in Shasta County, California. The source is underground springs above the falls. The water falls from a height of 129 feet (39.3 m.) A National Natural Landmark, President Theodore Roosevelt called Burney Falls the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”
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Multnomah Falls - Columbia River Gorge. OR, US
Multnomah Falls - Columbia River Gorge. OR, US
Spanning two tiers on basalt cliffs, Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oregon, measuring 620 ft (189 m) in height. The water falls through two tiers, and The Multnomah Creek Bridge crosses over the lower tier. A trail maintained by the Oregon State Park Service ascends to an observation deck above the falls. It is the most-visited nature site in the US Pacific Northwest. The upper falls are 542 feet (165 m), and the lower falls are 69 feet (21 m).
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Bridalveil Falls - Yosemite Valley. CA, US
Bridalveil Falls - Yosemite Valley. CA, US
There are other waterfalls called “Bridal Veil”, but Yosemite’s Bridalveil is 617 feet (188 m) tall, and when the waters are less than full force, winds often blow the water sideways. For that reason, Native Americans in the area called the falls “Pohono”, translated as “Spirit of the Puffing Wind.”
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Union Falls - Yellowstone National Park - WY, US
Union Falls - Yellowstone National Park - WY, US
A hike of 15 miles roundtrip will get you to Union Falls and back. Union Falls derives its name from the fact that two rivers join just at the edge of the 250-foot drop (76.2 m). To get there, you ford a stream and traverse through bear country. Once you reach the falls, there is an overlook where the entire falls are visible.
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Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River - Yellowstone National Park - WY, US
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River - Yellowstone National Park - WY, US
The Yellowstone River is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states, and the Lower Falls is its highest fall at 308 feet (93.88 m). The Lower Falls are the second most photographed non-animal attraction in Yellowstone, just behind Old Faithful Geyser.
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Niagara Falls near Buffalo, NY, US
Niagara Falls near Buffalo, NY, US
Shared with Southeastern Ontario in Canada, Niagara Falls is probably the most widely known waterfall in the United States. A popular tourist attraction since 1883 when Grover Cleveland became governor of New York and signed in the state park to spare and preserve the falls from industrial development Niagara is actually a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, and more than 5.9 million cubic feet of water goes over the falls every minute. The largest of the three falls, Horseshoe Falls straddles the border of the US and Canada and is the most powerful waterfall in North America.