Panther Creek Falls is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

on Panther Creek in the Wind River Valley in Skamania County,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. The waterfall consists of two drops, with the largest at a height of . The waterfall is perennial.

Trail

The waterfall and the

creek A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet. Creek may also refer to: People * Creek people, also known as Muscogee, Native Americans ...

which leads up to it are accessible by a

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

maintained by the Forest Service. In addition to the maintained trail, a viewing deck was constructed to the right at a Y in the trail where you can see the main, horsetail portion of the waterfall. The trail continues down to the left at the Y for those who wish to see the final drop.

Structure

The waterfall is produced by Panther Creek approaching a

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

and then sharply making a turn. Some of the water rushes too quickly and falls over the side prematurely at the bend, but the majority of the water follows the

until it reaches a natural

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...

which then drops off. At the dropoff, the horsetail begins the first tier of the waterfall, which drops . After this, a drop concludes the waterfall and the creek continues.

References

{{Authority control Waterfalls of Washington (state) Tourist attractions in Skamania County, Washington Columbia River Gorge Gifford Pinchot National Forest Waterfalls of Skamania County, Washington