The Falls, less than ¾-mile from the Mount Baker Highway, are visited year-round. In the summer, vehicles can drive on the graveled Wells Creek Road and park just before the bridge. The vapors rising from the tumultuous water feel cool and soothing on a hot day. In winter, snowshoers and nordic skiers enjoy the short trip. When it’s especially cold ice formations from the river water and the condensation on trees and rocks can be beautiful.

The best and only safe views can be gained from the fenced area on the rocky and treed bluff that begins at the road. Below the Falls the drama continues as Wells Creek, draining the north slope of Mount Baker joins the Nooksack River. At one time the power of the Falls was harnessed to provide electric energy to the town of Glacier. The wooden pipeline and diversion area can still be seen on the way to the Falls. So much drama for so little effort, the Nooksack Falls are worth a short visit on any trip up the Mount Baker Highway.

Written By: Bud Hardwick
Photo Credit: Wayne Berry

Features
Walking Trails  |  Wheelchair Accessible

Comments
Some friends and I made it into Sholes Creek Falls last summer. It's an extremely difficult trip in but worth it for anyone who really loves waterfalls. You can see some pictures on my website here: http://aaronswaterfallworld.com/sholescreekfalls.htm
- Aaron Young on Fri, March 7, 2008

Once Wells Creek Road opens up for the summer on July 1st, waterfall fans can visit two more amazing falls along the road. 5.1 miles along the road it crosses over Wells Creek. The falls can be seen from the road, but the view is blocked by trees. A short walk along the creek (including fording the creek at least once) will reveal great views of the lovely 100' tall falls. Continue down the road for about 1/2 a mile until the road turns and crosses over Bar Creek on a bridge. If you park on the near side of the bridge, you can work your way along the side of the creek through the woods until you come to Sholes Creek flowing into Bar Creek. A short distance up Sholes Creek lie the falls. The appear to be at least 200' tall, however, the shape of the gorge blocks views of the entire falls. If one could figure out a way to see the entire falls, it would make for an unbelievable site.
- Aaron Young on Sat, July 28, 2007

The short road to Nooksack Falls is at milepost 40.5 on the Mount Baker Highway, a little less than ten miles east of the town of Glacier and a little more than half a mile beyond the turnoff to the old site of the town of Excelsior. The viewpoint is set behind a chain link fence that many people naively walk around to get a better view. In recent years ten have plunged to their death, including people who have fallen in upstream of the falls and have gone over, falling all 170 feet, and at least one pregnant tourist. The only known survivor of such a fall is Ryan Reynolds, 22, of Blaine, who slipped off a narrow ledge beneath the fenced off viewing area on New Year's Eve 2006, tumbling and then falling about 100 feet onto a partly submerged rock in the river just below where Wells Creek flows into the Nooksack from the south, opposite the viewing area. Though amazingly uninjured, it took rescuers almost four hours' work in the dark to get him back up the sheer cliffs. Reynolds, who builds and maintains high-level scaffolding for a local refinery and is used to working at heights, strongly recommends against anyone going outside the fence. "I'm probably as good as anyone at negotiating narrow walkways with precarious footing," he said afterwards, "and I couldn't do it. It looks deceptively easy, but it's a real death trap."
- Jack Kintner on Sat, January 27, 2007

When I was visiting my aunt and cousin, we went to nooksack Falls and I read the information thing. And It said that several people died from getting too close to the falls, and I thought that was really sad. But other than that the falls were beautifull!
- Megan Smothers on Thu, November 3, 2005

where are the falls is what is missing
- kirsty on Sun, April 24, 2005

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