Plaikni Falls
Plaikni Falls is a waterfall in Oregon, at a modelled elevation of 2,035 m. Mount Thielsen stands 2,799 m to the north, 17 miles off. The nearest named place is Anderson Spring, a spring 0.3 miles away. Volcanic Legacy runs past it.
The story
Plaikni Falls, is a waterfall located along the East Rim Drive within the Crater Lake National Park at the south end of Mount Scott, in Klamath County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The waterfall is located in a glacier carved cliff surrounded by walls of petrified volcanic ash consequence of Mount Mazama eruption. The location of Plaikni Falls wasn't known by many until the park constructed a new trail in 2011, making the Plainki Falls trail one of the most popular destinations along the Crater Lake Rim Drives. Full views of the cascade can be seen at the end of an easy 1-mile walk on a wheel-chair accessible trail. The trail is surrounded by old-growth fir and hemlock forests rich in wildflowers. The name of the waterfall stems from a Native American word that means "from the high country".
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q38251608, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- On the Volcanic Legacy, National
- 14.9 mi off the Rogue-Umpqua, National
Overlooks nearby
- Phantom Ship Overlook · 1 mi
- Kerr Notch · 1 mi
- Victor View · 1 mi
- Pumice Castle Overlook · 1 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Cloudcap: 1.6 mi
- Mount Scott: 1.9 mi
- Applegate Peak: 2.9 mi
- Eagle Crags: 3.3 mi
- Mount Mazama: 3.4 mi
- Anderson Bluffs: 0.9 mi
- Victor View: 1.2 mi
- Pumice Castle: 1.4 mi
- Redcloud Cliff: 1.4 mi
- Dutton Cliff: 1.5 mi
- Anderson Spring: 0.3 mi
- Pothole Spring: 3.2 mi
- Cascade Spring: 3.3 mi
- Munson Springs: 4.5 mi
- Maklaks Spring: 5.3 mi
- Vidae Falls: 3.1 mi
- Duwee Falls: 5.9 mi
- Annie Falls: 7.2 mi
- Stuart Falls: 11.3 mi
- Red Blanket Falls: 12.1 mi
- Scott Creek Campground: 6.6 mi
- Jackson F Kimball State Park: 12.3 mi
- Thunder Beast Park: 14.0 mi
- Fort Klamath Park Museum: 15.4 mi
- Fort Klamath Park: 15.5 mi
- Vidae Falls Picnic Area: 3.1 mi
- Goodbye Picnic Area: 5.9 mi
- Goodbye Picnic Area: 5.9 mi
- Lodgepole Picnic Area: 6.8 mi
- Annie Falls (and Udo's): 7.2 mi
- Union Creek Wayside: 20.1 mi
- Beaver Marsh Rest Area - Northbound: 22.5 mi
- Beaver Marsh Rest Area - Southbound: 22.8 mi
- Crater Lake Lodge History: 4.6 mi
- Collier State Park Logging Museum: 20.3 mi
- Stephen Tyng Mather Plaque: 4.7 mi
- Blue Star Memorial Highway: 20.4 mi
- Lady of the Woods: 4.5 mi
- Natural Bridge: 21.1 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 16.8 miles of Plaikni Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Thielsen | N 357° | 2,799.4 m | 16.8 mi |
| Mount Scott | ENE 61° | 2,636 m | 1.9 mi |
| Garfield Peak | W 264° | 2,454 m | 3.8 mi |
| Llao Rock | NW 315° | 2,453 m | 6.2 mi |
| Applegate Peak | WSW 257° | 2,450 m | 2.9 mi |
| Cloudcap | NNE 14° | 2,444 m | 1.6 mi |
| The Watchman | WNW 290° | 2,442 m | 6.6 mi |
| Hillman Peak | WNW 296° | 2,433 m | 6.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:12 | 18:43 | 19:21 |
| June solstice | 05:30 | 20:08 | 20:51 |
| September equinox | 06:56 | 18:30 | 19:07 |
| December solstice | 07:37 | 15:51 | 16:37 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 27 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 39 | 45 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 40 | 31 | 26 |
| Precip in | 10.1 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 9.6 | 11.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Crater Lake NPS HQ, 4 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Crater Lake National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Jul.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/2452430293
Day trips start here
- Crater Lake National Park · 4 mi
Take the scenic way to Plaikni Falls.
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