Tallest Waterfalls in the US

The U.S. has some massive waterfalls, ranging from the huge plunges in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii to the rugged cascades in the Rockies and Sierras. Because things get a little tricky when you’re comparing a straight vertical drop to a long, multi-tiered descent, we’ve presented the tallest waterfalls both in terms of “vertical drop” and “total drop”.

U.S. Tallest Waterfalls: Vertical Drop

This table focuses on the “big leaps”—the tallest single, continuous vertical drops in the country. Note that many of Hawaii’s tallest falls are counted here as they often drop sheer down volcanic cliffs.

Rank	Waterfall Name	Vertical Drop (ft)	State	Notable Fact
1	Olo’upena Falls	2,953′	HI	The highest sheer drop in the U.S., located on Molokai’s sea cliffs.
2	Pu’uka’oku Falls	2,756′	HI	An almost perfectly vertical ribbon on the world’s tallest sea cliffs.
3	Waihilau Falls	2,592′	HI	A massive, single-plunge giant in the remote Waimanu Valley.
4	Ribbon Fall	1,612′	CA	The highest single-drop waterfall in the contiguous United States.
5	Yosemite Falls (Upper)	1,430′	CA	The top tier of the Yosemite system is one of the world’s highest plunges.
6	Kahiwa Falls	1,260′	HI	A sheer vertical drop that frequently falls directly into the ocean.
7	Manawainui Falls	1,200′	HI	A vertical masterpiece found in the jagged valleys of Maui.
8	Horsetail Fall	1,000′	CA	Drops vertically off the shoulder of El Capitan; famous for the “firefall.”
9	Bridalveil Fall	620′	CA	Iconic Yosemite plunge; often “dances” in high winds.
10	Nevada Fall	594′	CA	A high-volume vertical leap that creates a massive spray zone.
11	Silver Strand Falls	574′	CA	A tall, thin vertical ribbon located near the tunnel entrance in Yosemite.
12	Multnomah Falls (Upper)	542′	OR	The majestic upper tier of Oregon’s most famous waterfall.
13	Akaka Falls	442′	HI	A classic free-falling plunge located in a lush state park on the Big Island.
14	Illilouette Fall	370′	CA	A hidden sheer drop tucked into a side canyon above Yosemite Valley.
15	Lower Yosemite Fall	320′	CA	The final vertical plunge of the Yosemite Creek before it hits the floor.
16	Vernal Fall	317′	CA	A wide, powerful vertical curtain known for its permanent rainbows.
17	Lower Yellowstone Falls	308′	WY	The most powerful vertical drop in the Rockies.
18	Salt Creek Falls	286′	OR	One of the most impressive and accessible vertical plunges in the Cascades.
19	Snoqualmie Falls	268′	WA	A high-volume plunge that is wider than it is tall.
20	Fall Creek Falls	256′	TN	The tallest free-fall waterfall in the United States east of the Rockies.
21	Taughannock Falls	215′	NY	Beats Niagara in height and is a true vertical free-fall.
22	Shoshone Falls	212′	ID	A massive vertical leap across the Snake River canyon.
23	Palouse Falls	198′	WA	A vertical drop into a basalt canyon carved by ancient floods.
24	Horseshoe Falls (Niagara)	188′	NY/ON	The tallest section of the Niagara system.
25	American Falls (Niagara)	176′	NY	Rounds out the top 25 tallest vertical drops in the U.S.

U.S. Tallest Waterfalls: Total Drop

This list ranks the 25 tallest based on their cumulative height from top to bottom, including all tiers and cascades. Most of these are located in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest.

Rank	Waterfall Name	Total Drop (ft)	State	Notable Fact
1	Olo’upena Falls	2,953′	HI	Remote tiered fall on the North Shore of Molokai.
2	Pu’uka’oku Falls	2,756′	HI	Deeply etched into the world’s highest sea cliffs.
3	Waihilau Falls	2,592′	HI	Found in the nearly inaccessible Waimanu Valley.
4	Colonial Creek Falls	2,568′	WA	The tallest waterfall in the contiguous United States.
5	Johannesburg Falls	2,465′	WA	Fed by small glaciers in North Cascades National Park.
6	Yosemite Falls	2,425′	CA	The total height of the upper, middle, and lower sections.
7	Cloudcap Falls	2,400′	WA	A series of steep glacier-fed cascades.
8	Sperry Glacier Falls	2,300′	MT	A massive glacier-fed fall in Glacier National Park.
9	Haloku Falls	2,297′	HI	Another giant on the north coast of Molokai.
10	Rainy Lake Falls	2,000′	WA	Drops from a hanging valley into Rainy Lake.
11	Sentinel Fall	1,920′	CA	Located near Glacier Point in Yosemite.
12	Ouzel Falls	1,900′	MT	A remote multi-tiered fall in the Rockies.
13	Pitchfork Falls	1,900′	AK	A heavy-volume fall visible from the Skagway area.
14	Monument Falls	1,880′	WA	A long sequence of slides and drops.
15	Greenstone Falls	1,810′	WA	Located in the rugged Mount Baker-Snoqualmie area.
16	Florence Falls	1,750′	MT	One of the most impressive tiered falls in Glacier NP.
17	Ribbon Fall	1,612′	CA	Known for its extreme height and thin profile.
18	Pearl Falls	1,500′	WA	A massive staircase-style fall on Mount Rainier.
19	Feather Falls	1,500′	WA	A series of glacier-fed chutes.
20	Snow Creek Falls	1,450′	CA	Drops into Tenaya Canyon in Yosemite.
21	Silver Lake Falls	1,438′	WA	Cascades from Silver Lake in the North Cascades.
22	Snoqualmie Falls	1,300′ (total run)	WA	While the main plunge is 268′, the total system is much higher.
23	Horsetail Fall	1,300′	CA	Famous for the “firefall” effect in February.
24	Kahiwa Falls	1,260′	HI	Visible only by boat or air on Molokai.
25	Manawainui Falls	1,200′	HI	A tall, multi-tiered fall on the island of Maui.