Sydney Falls
Sydney Falls is a waterfall in Washington, at a modelled elevation of 1,080 m. Gibraltar Rock stands 3,863 m to the west, 8.8 miles off. The nearest named place is Buell Peak, a peak 0.9 miles away. JCT SR 12 OHANAPECOSH JCT VIC WHITE PASS TO JCT SR 410 VIC CHINOOK PASS passes 1.2 miles off.
The story
Sydney Falls, more commonly called Kotsuck Creek Falls or Kotsuck Falls, is a waterfall in the Mount Rainier National Park in the U.S. state of Washington. The falls is formed as Kotsuck Creek, a tributary of the Cowlitz River, thunders 200 feet (61 m) into a steep and rugged canyon in a plume 75 feet (23 m) wide. The falls start with a small tier of 30 feet (9.1 m), then splits into three streams and plunges over a sheer cliff face, joining at the bottom. The name of the falls comes from a 1912 article that mentions that "Sydney Falls is along the Wonderland Trail". The name "Kotsuck" comes from a Chinook Indian word meaning "middle". However, the name "Kotsuck Creek Falls" may be inaccurate, as the names of Kotsuck Creek and Chinook Creek may have been switched at some time in the past.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q37284, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 58.5 m
How to reach it
- 1.2 mi off the JCT SR 12 OHANAPECOSH JCT VIC WHITE PASS TO JCT SR 410 VIC CHINOOK PASS
- 1.2 mi off the JCT SR 12 VIC MORTON TO JCT SR 410 VIC CHINOOK PASS
- 2.0 mi off the JCT MUD MTN RD VIC ENUMCLAW TO JCT SR 12 VIC NACHES
- 2.0 mi off the JCT SCATTER CREEK CROSSING TO JCT SR 12 VIC NACHES
Overlooks nearby
- Sourdough Gap · 5 mi
- Silver Falls Overlook · 6 mi
- Palisades Viewpoint · 11 mi
- South Snoquera Point · 14 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Buell Peak: 0.9 mi
- Double Peak: 1.3 mi
- Barrier Peak: 1.6 mi
- Shriner Peak: 2.3 mi
- Third Cowlitz Chimney: 2.4 mi
- Deer Creek Falls: 1.1 mi
- Chinook Cascades: 1.1 mi
- Stafford Falls: 1.4 mi
- Wauhaukaupauken Falls: 3.8 mi
- Mary Belle Falls: 3.9 mi
- Sunrise Point: 5.5 mi
- The Palisades: 8.1 mi
- Nisqually Ice Cliff: 8.9 mi
- Nisqually Cleaver: 9.0 mi
- Wilson Headwall: 9.4 mi
- Sunrise Picnic Area: 6.6 mi
- Paradise Picnic Area: 9.5 mi
- Corral Pass Picnic Area: 12.7 mi
- White Pass Day Use: 15.9 mi
- Clear Lake Day Use Area: 19.5 mi
- Log Spring: 8.7 mi
- Soda Springs: 10.0 mi
- Bum Springs: 12.0 mi
- Iron Mike Springs: 13.5 mi
- Clover Spring: 17.1 mi
- Stephen Tyng Mather Memorial: 2.8 mi
- Stevens-Van Trump Historical Monument: 8.1 mi
- Cross-section of 1293 Douglas Fir: 13.5 mi
- Marine Memorial Airplane Crash Monument: 16.3 mi
- Longmire Museum: 13.5 mi
- Transportation Exhibit: 13.5 mi
- Historic Packwood Station: 16.7 mi
- White Pass Country Historical Museum: 17.1 mi
- Packwood Cowlitz River Public Access Point: 16.7 mi
- Pyramid Creek SnoPark: 19.5 mi
- Salmon Falls Interpretive Site: 23.2 mi
- Boulder Cave Day Use Area: 23.9 mi
- Big Cedar: 5.4 mi
- The Trident: 8.5 mi
- Coffee Cup: 9.7 mi
- Bevin Lake Rest Area: 21.6 mi
- Mather Memorial East Portal Information Site: 23.8 mi
- Ohanapecosh Hot Springs: 7.1 mi
- Jean Caithness Greenlees Grove: 22.6 mi
- Fairfax: 24.5 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 9.0 miles of Sydney Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibraltar Rock | W 273° | 3,863 m | 8.8 mi |
| Little Tahoma | W 275° | 3,395 m | 7.3 mi |
| Steamboat Prow | WNW 285° | 2,940 m | 8.4 mi |
| Anvil Rock | W 265° | 2,921 m | 7.9 mi |
| Whitman Crest | W 275° | 2,841 m | 6.1 mi |
| K Spire | W 281° | 2,708 m | 6.7 mi |
| Mount Ruth | WNW 289° | 2,635 m | 7.8 mi |
| 3rd Burroughs Mountain | WNW 300° | 2,386 m | 8.4 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:39 | 19:19 |
| June solstice | 05:13 | 20:18 | 21:05 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:26 | 19:06 |
| December solstice | 07:49 | 15:29 | 16:21 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 29 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 53 | 54 | 49 | 40 | 32 | 27 |
| Precip in | 17.2 | 12.9 | 13.2 | 8.3 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 4.4 | 11.3 | 18.2 | 18.9 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Rainier Paradise RS, 10 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Mount Rainier National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Feb and Dec; busiest: Jul.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/3743681183
Day trips start here
- Mount Rainier National Park · 7 mi
Take the scenic way to Sydney Falls.
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