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Depot Creek Falls

Depot Creek Falls, seen from above at true elevation

Depot Creek Falls is a waterfall in Washington, at a modelled elevation of 1,433 m. Mount Spickard stands 2,734 m to the east-southeast, 2.1 miles off. The nearest named place is Mount Redoubt, a peak 1.6 miles away. JCT SR 5 VIC BELLINGHAM TO AUSTIN PASS VIC MT BAKER passes 18 miles off.

The story

Depot Creek Falls is a 967-foot (295 m)-high waterfall in the North Cascades National Park, Whatcom County, Washington. The falls occur where Depot Creek drops over a headwall. The creek starts off by plunging 200 feet (61 m). After that is a long slide of 767 feet (234 m) to the bottom of the valley. Spray at the falls' base is immense. The average volume of the falls is 300-500 cubic feet per second of water, which flows over a nearly 1,000-foot (300 m) high cliff as a 125-foot (38 m)-wide river. Reaching the falls is challenging. One has to drive up Depot Creek FSR from the Canadian side, which is in poor condition, before hiking about 8 miles (13 km) to the falls. This is one reason the falls are seldom visited.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q37513, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What the record says

Height
270 m

How to reach it

Coordinates48.97772, -121.28475

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
Waterfalls: 16
Ghost towns: 2
Cliffs: 2
Picnic sites: 2
Museums: 1
  • Gorge Powerhouse Visitor Gallery: 21.0 mi
Attractions: 1
  • "Old Number 6" Seattle City Light Locomotive: 21.1 mi
Artworks: 1
Historic sites: 1
  • Pacific Crest Trail Northern Terminus: 21.9 mi
Hot springs: 1
  • Baker Hot Springs: 23.1 mi

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 16.4 miles of Depot Creek Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount SpickardESE 106°2,734 m2.1 mi
Mount RedoubtSSW 208°2,689 m1.6 mi
Ag PeakE 95°2,689 m2.2 mi
Mount CusterENE 64°2,630 m1.7 mi
Northwest Mox PeakSSE 153°2,592 m2.2 mi
Mount RahmENE 61°2,580 m2.8 mi
Solitude PeakESE 121°2,562 m2.0 mi
Luna PeakS 177°2,533 m10.2 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0918:3619:18
June solstice05:0220:2421:14
September equinox06:5218:2319:05
December solstice08:5716:1517:11

Local time (America/Vancouver).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F343741475560666660504034
Precip in12.37.48.24.62.72.31.31.53.48.613.711.6

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Diablo DAM, 19 mi away.

Inside the official boundary of North Cascades National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Dec and Mar; busiest: Jul.

NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/7888619481

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