Waterfalls in Alaska

Waterfalls in Alaska at a glance

Alaska has 75 named waterfalls on our map, 24th among the states. Most are small drops on creeks and rivers, and many run best in spring or after rain.

For bigger falls, the nearest waterfall country is Maine and New Hampshire. Maine's best-known falls include Moxie Falls, Screw Auger Falls, Angel Falls. Search your town on the map above and set the radius to 100 or 200 miles to see which are within a day trip; the map crosses state lines.

Small falls like these are at their best in spring and in the day or two after heavy rain, when the creeks feeding them run high; in dry spells many shrink to a trickle. See the best time to see waterfalls.

Alaska by the numbers

The map shows 75 named falls in Alaska. 47 of them are in the USGS Geographic Names Information System, the federal register of official place names, and 28 more are named falls mapped only in OpenStreetMap. 3 have a height recorded by OpenStreetMap mappers, which is what the height filter above uses. JuneauBorough has the most, with 6.

Tallest recorded waterfalls in Alaska

Heights as recorded in OpenStreetMap, converted to feet. Guidebooks may list different figures, usually because they count every tier of a fall or only the biggest drop. Why heights differ.

Boroughs with the most waterfalls

From the USGS record, which gives each fall's borough.

Every named waterfall in Alaska

Alphabetical within each borough. Tap a name to centre the map above on it.

Aleutians West (CA) (2)

White Falls, White Falls

Anchorage (1)

Thunder Bird Falls

Bethel (3)

Golden Gate Falls, Lower Falls, Upper Falls

Chugach (6)

Bridal Veil Falls, Horsetail Falls, Ohman Falls, Rudleston Falls, Sahlin Falls, Whiting Falls

Copper River (3)

Cheshnina Falls, Chitistone Falls, Liberty Falls

Dillingham (CA) (1)

Kolevokharit Koygut Falls

Dillingham (1)

Tikchik Falls

Hoonah-Angoon (CA) (4)

Lax'áask'i, Tax'áas, The Falls, X'áask'

Juneau (6)

Alaska Chief Falls, Ebner Falls, Grindstone Falls, Lost Rocker Falls, Suicide Falls, Sweetheart Falls

Kenai Peninsula (1)

Cynthia Falls

Ketchikan Gateway (2)

Beaver Falls, Fish Ladder

Kodiak Island (1)

Fultons Falls

Lake and Peninsula (3)

Brooks Falls, Petrof Falls, Wolverine Falls

Matanuska-Susitna (1)

Rotary Falls

Prince of Wales-Hyder (CA) (5)

Nutkwa Falls, Silver Falls, Silver Salmon Falls, Sockeye Falls, Wolf Pass Falls

Sitka (2)

Hidden Falls, Kasnyku Falls

Skagway (3)

Bridal Veil Falls, Pitchfork Falls, Reid Falls

Southeast Fairbanks (CA) (1)

The Falls

Wrangell (1)

Rainbow Falls

County not recorded (28)

AJ Falls, Amna Waterfall, Anderson Falls, Bear Mountain Waterfall, Bridalveil Falls, Chenik Falls, Eska Falls, Fulton Falls, Heritage Falls, icy falls, Indian River Falls, Jakolof Falls, Juneau Falls, Kvasnikoff Falls (699 ft), Lower Reid Falls, McKinley Falls, Mystery Falls, Niagara Falls (10 ft), Nugget Falls (377 ft), Rapid Falls, Russian River Falls, Serenity Falls, South Fork Falls, Tanalian Falls, Thunder Gorge Waterfall, Tutka Falls, Upper Reid Falls, Virgin Creek Falls

Before you go

The map shows where falls are, not whether they are open or safe to reach. Check the land manager, usually a state park or national forest, for closures, fees and permits, and stay on the trail near the water. Our waterfall safety guide covers the hazards, and waterfall hikes near me explains how to pick a trail.

Waterfalls near cities close to Alaska

Every named fall within driving range of the city, nearest first: waterfalls near Portland, Maine, waterfalls near Burlington, waterfalls near Boston.

Waterfalls in nearby states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts. Or see waterfalls in every state.