- Sholes Creek Falls is sort of the big brother to nearby Wells Creek Falls. Sholes Creek plunges over a two-stepped waterfall in drops of 62 and 103 feet into a very deep amphitheater at the head of a gorge just above its confluence with Bar Creek. Framing either side of Sholes Creek Falls are huge pillars of volcanic rock rising well over 200 feet above the creek at the base of the canyon, one of which effectively blocks views of the upper tier of the falls itself from all locations where views are unobstructed.
northwest waterfall survey of
Paris flared — Paris, which the divine sun had sown with light, and where in glory waved the great future harvest of Truth and of Justice.
Émile Zola, Paris (1898)
- Wells Creek Falls (waterfallsnorthwest.com)
Wells Creek Falls is an exceptional example of the classic Plunge type waterfall, and is one of the more easily accessed waterfalls in the Mount Baker area. The falls jump off the lip of a dark volcanic cliff, hurtling 93 feet into a verdant amphitheater, from which the creek exits via a very scenic bubbling trough between cliffs before meandering down a much broader rocky streambed to join the flood plain of Bar Creek below. Because of Wells Creek’s size, it has been known to frequently swell to very considerable size in the late spring and early summer months, enveloping the whole basin around the falls in a thick cloud of mist.