Suiattle Falls

From waterfallsnortwest.com > Suiattle Falls is an immensely tall chain of plunges, horsetails, and cascades along an unnamed stream which drains from the southwest portion of Suiattle Mountain north of Darrington. The total height of the falls is difficult to determine because the stream is heavily incised into a narrow ravine, but topographic data supports the idea that the entire chain drops around 800 feet. The largest individual section of the falls is fortunately the most accessible - a 294 foot drop which begins as an airy free-falling plunge that impacts on a ledge and then slides down a narrow chute with a second nearly-vertical plunge out of sight below. > More of the falls can be seen collectively from across the Suiattle River valley along Forest Road, but due to the narrow confines of the ravine which the falls descent, it may be impossible to determine the true scale of the entire waterfall without either technical climbing experience, or the use of a drone-mounted camera. The small drainage basin and resultant low streamflow may also make it harder to survey the entire falls in the future. > Views of the 294-foot portion of the falls are obtained via a user-constructed trail which climbs ridiculously steeply up along side the ravine harboring the falls. At some points scrambling on all fours is advised, and around the base of the falls the slopes are steep and potentially deadly in places. Visitors are advised to be quite cautious here, understanding that this is still effectively a bushwhack destination which has just seen some improvement to its route.

First descent team parked one car at canyon finish and drove the shuttle car to 48.37281, -121.54254 and hiked toward forest road at 48.37618, -121.53663. Prior to hitting the forest road, it was a very slow bushwhack which is unlikely the best approach. Next attempt I think it will be better to park at 48.36155, -121.51456 and hike that forest road to 48.37618, -121.53663 and continue that until exiting forest road at 48.37323, -121.51281, at which point you traverse to the right on overgrown forest roads to technical canyon start. We attempted several drive up options but gates were locked. Note: do not hike up road at 48.37570, -121.54677. Landowner does not want hikers on property. Per Coops: There seems to be a few options which need exploring more: 0. The waterfall hunters bush-wack straight up the side of the falls (see descriptions in the beta sites). 1. To the east, a gated forest road starting at 48.36124, -121.47369 leads all the way to above the falls. 2. To the west, a forest road starting at 48.37297, -121.53427 (missing on all maps I've checked, but very visible in aerial imagery) leads up the mountain. One switch-back at 48.37323, -121.51281 gets you very close to the top of the main falls. I think this road is actually just the other end of road #1. If/where this road is gated is TBD. 3. To the north, the Illabot Creek road links up with various forest roads (e.g. West Boundary Rd) before taking its very long journey out east to the Slide Lake Trailhead. I suspect the roads leading South towards the falls are unmaintained and overgrown comparing them to the other forest roads around. I think approach 2 is the best bet. It's the shortest, is on good roads, and lidar indicates it leads you straight to the best part of the falls.