Waterfalls near me

5,731 named waterfalls across the United States on one map, ranked by distance from you, with height and directions.

Showing the tallest recorded falls in the US. Tap the button or type a city or ZIP to list the ones near you. Nothing you search is stored.

    Waterfall names and positions: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Heights are from OpenStreetMap where a mapper recorded one. Data as of September 2026. Always check the land manager for trail status, closures and parking before you go.

    Find the waterfalls near me, nearest first

    This map finds the waterfalls near you and puts them in order of distance. Tap Find falls near me and allow location access, or type a city or ZIP code. Every named waterfall within the radius appears as a numbered pin on the map and in the list beside it, with how far away it is, which direction, its height where one has been recorded, and the county it sits in. One tap gives driving directions; another opens a trail map at that spot, so you can see whether it is a roadside stop or the end of a long hike.

    The map covers 5,731 named falls in all 50 states. Most waterfall lists online are a dozen favourites in one state. This one holds every waterfall with an official or mapped name, so it also finds the small falls in the next valley that no listicle mentions. Use the height chips to narrow it to the big ones: 239 falls on the map have a recorded drop of 100 feet or more.

    How to pick a waterfall to visit

    Distance is the start, not the whole answer. A fall 6 miles away in a straight line can be a 20-minute drive or a 90-minute one if a ridge sits in between, so check the route before you commit. Then look at three more things.

    • The walk. The Trail map link shows footpaths around each fall. A path that ends at the water means a hike; a fall beside a road means none.
    • The flow. Waterfalls change with the seasons. Snowmelt falls peak in late spring; rain-fed falls in the Southeast run best in winter and spring, and many small falls only run after rain. Our guide to the best time to see waterfalls covers each region.
    • Access. Some falls are in state parks with fees and hours, some in national forests with no facilities, and some on private land. Look up the land manager by name before you drive.

    Big falls and small ones

    The famous falls draw the crowds, but most of the waterfalls near you are small: a 15-foot drop in a wooded ravine, a string of cascades below a road bridge, a ledge that only runs after a storm. They are often quieter and closer, and a good reason to try a nearby pin you have never heard of. For the big ones, see the tallest waterfalls in the US, and learn the names used in trail guides in types of waterfalls.

    Where the data comes from

    Waterfall names and positions come from two public sources. The first is the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the federal government's register of official place names, which records every named fall with its county and coordinates. The second is OpenStreetMap, the volunteer-built world map, whose mappers add falls GNIS lacks and often record a height. We merge the two, match falls that appear in both, and drop duplicates. The result is rebuilt from the source data, and the current version dates from 2026-09-23.

    That makes the map broad but not perfect. Unnamed falls are not on it, some small falls sit a little off their true position, and heights exist only where a mapper recorded one. If you spot a mistake, tell us.

    Waterfall hikes and swimming holes near me

    Most waterfall hikes are named after the fall at the end, so the list above doubles as a list of waterfall hikes near you. Waterfall hikes near me explains how to judge a trail from the map before you go. Many swimming holes are the pools below falls too, but plenty of those pools are closed to swimming or dangerous to enter; swimming holes near me covers what to check first.

    Stay safe around waterfalls

    Rock near a waterfall is wet, slick with algae and far more slippery than it looks, and most injuries happen when people leave the trail for a closer view or a photo. Stay behind barriers, never enter the stream above a fall, and keep children close. Streams can rise fast after rain upstream. Read waterfall safety before your first visit with kids or a swimsuit.

    Privacy

    Your location never reaches a server of ours. The waterfall data downloads to your browser, and the distances are worked out on your device. A typed place goes to OpenStreetMap's search service to become coordinates. There is no account and nothing is saved. A share link carries the coordinates in the link itself.

    Waterfalls by state

    Each state page lists the best-known falls, the tallest recorded ones, the counties with the most, and every named waterfall in the state. North Carolina leads with 841 named falls. Pick yours, or see the national table.

    Waterfalls near popular cities

    City pages list every named fall within driving range of downtown, nearest first, with how far each one is and which way.

    Waterfall guides

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I find waterfalls near me?

    Tap Find falls near me at the top of this page and allow location access, or type a city or ZIP code. Every named waterfall within the radius appears on the map and in a list, nearest first, with its height where recorded and a directions link.

    What is the closest waterfall to me?

    The first entry in the list after you search. It gives the straight-line distance and compass direction from you. Driving distance can be much longer in hilly country, so open Directions to check the route.

    Can I find waterfalls by city or ZIP code?

    Yes. Type a city and state or a five-digit ZIP code into the search box, and the map centres on that place and lists the falls around it.

    Can I filter for big waterfalls?

    Yes. The 25 ft+, 50 ft+ and 100 ft+ chips show only falls with a recorded height of at least that much. Many smaller falls have no recorded height and disappear from a filtered list, so switch back to Any height to see them all.

    Where does the waterfall data come from?

    Names and positions come from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, the federal register of place names, and from OpenStreetMap, whose mappers also record heights. We merge the two and remove duplicates. The current data is from 2026-09-23.

    Which state has the most waterfalls?

    By named falls on our map, North Carolina has the most, with 841, followed by Washington and New York.

    Are the waterfalls on the map open to visit?

    Not always. The map shows where falls are, not whether a trail reaches them or the land is open. Some are on private land. Check the land manager, usually a state park or national forest, for access, fees and closures.

    When is the best time to see waterfalls?

    When the stream feeding them is high: spring snowmelt in the West and North, winter and spring rain in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest, and a day or two after heavy rain almost anywhere.

    Can you swim at waterfalls near me?

    Sometimes. Many parks ban swimming at particular falls, and pools below falls can have dangerous currents. Check the rules for the site, swim away from the falling water, and never in the stream above a fall.

    Is this waterfall finder free?

    Yes. There is no account, app or limit on searches.

    Is my location stored?

    No. Your position stays in your browser; the waterfall data downloads to your device and distances are worked out there. Typed places go to OpenStreetMap's search service to become coordinates.

    Why is a waterfall I know missing?

    It may have no official name, or be named differently on maps than locally. Our data holds named falls only. If a named waterfall is missing or in the wrong place, email us and we will check it against the source records.

    How accurate are the waterfall heights?

    They are the heights OpenStreetMap mappers have recorded, often from signs or guidebooks. Treat them as approximate. Published figures differ, mostly because some count every tier of a fall and others only the biggest drop.

    Does it work outside the United States?

    No. The map covers the 50 states and DC.