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Magnificent
Water Falls
 Mild
to wild - we've got them all! From roiling, boiling, thundering
waterfalls to gently cascading riffles to barely a trickle,
you'll find every type of waterfall imaginable in the Upper
Rogue.
Since
there are all sorts of shapes waterfalls can take on, and
there is no standard for classifying waterfalls, we have adopted
the method used by Gregory Plumb in the book "A Waterfall
Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest" and then added
an additional two forms.
Block
- A waterfall in a Block form occurs over a wide breadth of
the stream. The waterfall must be wider than it is tall (i.e.
- a waterfall that is 20 feet tall, and 40 feet wide).
A waterfall with this form does not have to be a solid sheet
of water. Most "block" waterfalls do not have
solid water across their entire breadth during the low flow
seasons.
Cascade
- A waterfall with a Cascade form descends
over low lying, gradually sloping rocks, a series of small
steps in quick succession, or a rugged sloping surface of
some kind. Cascades can be both gradual and steep.
Curtain
- Curtain form waterfalls occur along a wide
breadth of a stream, very similar to a block form waterfall,
but the height of a Curtain waterfall must be greater than
the width. Essentially, the reverse of a block waterfall.
Like blocks, waterfalls with this form typically don't maintain
a wide flow of water year round.
 Fan
- Waterfalls with a Fan form occur when the
breadth of the water in the waterfall increases during it's
decent, causing the base of the falls to be much wider than
the top.
Horsetail
- Horsetail waterfalls are characterized by
the constant or semi - constant contact the water keeps with
the bedrock as it falls. Horsetail waterfalls can be
almost vertical, as well as very gradual. This is one
of the most common waterfall forms in the Northwest.
Plunge
- The classic and waterfall form, where the
water drops vertically, losing most or all contact with the
rock face. This waterfall form has also been referred
to as a "Cataract" and a "Vertical" form
waterfall.
 Punchbowl
- Punchbowl waterfalls occur where the stream
is contracted to a very narrow breadth and is forcefully shot
downward into a large pool. These waterfalls are very powerful,
but are generally not very tall.
Segmented
- Segmented waterfalls occur where the stream
is broken into two or more channels before descending over
the cliff, causing multiple falls side by side. Segmented
waterfalls are probably the rarest form of waterfalls in the
Northwest, due to the abundance of harder rock types (so multiple
channels are harder to erode).
Slide
- Similar to a cascade, a Slide type waterfall
descends a gradual rocky surface. The difference is
a Slide waterfall occurs where a stream sheets over smooth
rock, whereas a Cascade drops over rough and jagged rocks.
Slide waterfalls maintain constant contact with the rock surface
and often serve as sliding surfaces.
Tiered
- The most abundant form in the Northwest,
Tiered waterfalls are characterized by multiple distinct drops
in relatively close succession to one another.
So,
if you love waterfalls the way we do, come spend some time
at Union Creek and explore the surrounding area.
National
Falls Creek (off Highway 230) is approximately 1/2 mile
from the resort. Moderate trail down going and upcoming.
Clearwater
Falls (off Hwy 138) is approximately 40 miles from the
resort - no trail.
Whitehorse
Falls (off Hwy 138) is approximately 45 minutes from the
resort - no trail.
Watson
Falls - (off Hwy 238) is approximately 50 miles north
of the resort - 1/2 mile moderate trail down going and upcoming.
Can walk under the falls.
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