Olney Falls (waterfallsnorthwest.com)

downstream of

Upper Olney Falls (waterfallsnorthwest.com) While not nearly as tall as more well known Olney Falls not too far downstream, this small upper falls is an exceptional waterfall for both its power and beauty. Olney Creek is a large watercourse, bordering on a river during the winter months, and as it pounds over this 27-foot ledge it creates a thunderous echo accompanied by hurricane-like volumes of mist being ejected into the air. In stark contrast, during the summer and early autumn months the stream is reduced considerably in volume and the falls assume a much more graceful appearance, braiding over the rugged ledge in several lacy strands, with terraced pools in the bedrock found just below.

Olney Falls is a series of plunges and cascades along Olney Creek where the stream descends through a narrow gorge in the process of reaching the floor of the Skykomish River valley. The falls drop a total of 65 feet in five or six distinct steps, depending on how much water is present in the creek. The largest individual drop is about 20 feet. The cliffs lining the gorge on either side of the falls rise as much as 150 feet out of the streambed, towering above the surrounding landscape. Though the area around the falls has been extensively logged, the gorge itself remains quite verdant.