The Most Common Waterfall Names in America

We catalogued 2,523 named waterfalls across the United States — and discovered they share just 1,965 unique names between them. The single most common? Rainbow Falls, used by 26 different falls.

2,523

Named waterfalls

1,965

Unique names

30%

Share a name

26×

“Rainbow Falls”

If you have ever stood at the base of a Bridal Veil Falls and felt a flicker of déjà vu, there is a reason. There are 19 of them. Across our directory of 2,523 U.S. waterfalls, roughly 30% share a name with at least one other waterfall — and only 1,767 have a name that is truly one of a kind.

Below is the full ranking of America's most repeated waterfall names. Type a name to filter the list — or search for your own local waterfall to find out how many twins it has nationwide. Expand any name to see the individual falls and visit their pages.

1 Rainbow Falls in 14 states 26
Rainbow Falls AK Rainbow Falls CA Rainbow Falls CA Rainbow Falls CO Rainbow Falls HI Rainbow Falls MI Rainbow Falls MT Rainbow Falls MT Rainbow Falls NY Rainbow Falls NY Rainbow Falls NY Rainbow Falls NY Rainbow Falls NY Rainbow Falls NC Rainbow Falls NC Rainbow Falls OR Rainbow Falls OR Rainbow Falls SC Rainbow Falls TN Rainbow Falls TN Rainbow Falls TN Rainbow Falls TN Rainbow Falls WA Rainbow Falls WA Rainbow Falls WI Rainbow Falls WY
2 Upper Falls in 15 states 26
Upper Falls AK Upper Falls CA Upper Falls CA Upper Falls ME Upper Falls MI Upper Falls MI Upper Falls MI Upper Falls MI Upper Falls MI Upper Falls MT Upper Falls NH Upper Falls NY Upper Falls NY Upper Falls NC Upper Falls NC Upper Falls NC Upper Falls NC Upper Falls NC Upper Falls OR Upper Falls SC Upper Falls UT Upper Falls VA Upper Falls WA Upper Falls WA Upper Falls WV Upper Falls WY
3 Buttermilk Falls in 6 states 21
Buttermilk Falls CT Buttermilk Falls ME Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls NY Buttermilk Falls OH Buttermilk Falls PA Buttermilk Falls PA Buttermilk Falls PA Buttermilk Falls VT
4 Cascade Falls in 14 states 21
Cascade Falls CA Cascade Falls CO Cascade Falls CO Cascade Falls GA Cascade Falls GA Cascade Falls MI Cascade Falls MN Cascade Falls MT Cascade Falls MT Cascade Falls NY Cascade Falls NY Cascade Falls NC Cascade Falls OH Cascade Falls OH Cascade Falls OR Cascade Falls OR Cascade Falls SD Cascade Falls TN Cascade Falls TN Cascade Falls UT Cascade Falls WA
5 High Falls in 7 states 21
High Falls AL High Falls AL High Falls GA High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NY High Falls NC High Falls NC High Falls NC High Falls PA High Falls PA High Falls SC High Falls WV
6 Little Falls in 11 states 21
Little Falls AL Little Falls AL Little Falls ID Little Falls ME Little Falls ME Little Falls ME Little Falls ME Little Falls ME Little Falls ME Little Falls MI Little Falls NV Little Falls NC Little Falls NC Little Falls NC Little Falls OR Little Falls OR Little Falls PA Little Falls TN Little Falls TX Little Falls WI Little Falls WI
7 The Falls in 15 states 21
The Falls AK The Falls AK The Falls AZ The Falls CA The Falls CA The Falls CO The Falls ID The Falls ID The Falls ME The Falls ME The Falls MO The Falls NM The Falls NY The Falls OR The Falls SC The Falls TN The Falls TX The Falls TX The Falls UT The Falls VA The Falls VA
8 Big Falls in 16 states 19
Big Falls CA Big Falls ID Big Falls ME Big Falls ME Big Falls MI Big Falls MT Big Falls NE Big Falls NV Big Falls NM Big Falls NC Big Falls NC Big Falls OK Big Falls OR Big Falls SC Big Falls TN Big Falls VT Big Falls VA Big Falls VA Big Falls WI
9 Bridal Veil Falls in 14 states 19
Bridal Veil Falls AK Bridal Veil Falls AK Bridal Veil Falls AR Bridal Veil Falls CO Bridal Veil Falls CO Bridal Veil Falls CO Bridal Veil Falls ID Bridal Veil Falls NY Bridal Veil Falls NC Bridal Veil Falls NC Bridal Veil Falls OH Bridal Veil Falls OK Bridal Veil Falls OR Bridal Veil Falls SD Bridal Veil Falls TN Bridal Veil Falls UT Bridal Veil Falls WA Bridal Veil Falls WA Bridal Veil Falls WY
10 Lower Falls in 12 states 19
Lower Falls AK Lower Falls CA Lower Falls ME Lower Falls MI Lower Falls MI Lower Falls MI Lower Falls MI Lower Falls MI Lower Falls MT Lower Falls NH Lower Falls NY Lower Falls NY Lower Falls NY Lower Falls NC Lower Falls OR Lower Falls SC Lower Falls SC Lower Falls WA Lower Falls WV
11 Twin Falls in 9 states 14
Twin Falls CA Twin Falls ID Twin Falls MT Twin Falls MT Twin Falls NY Twin Falls NC Twin Falls OR Twin Falls PA Twin Falls PA Twin Falls VT Twin Falls WA Twin Falls WA Twin Falls WA Twin Falls WA
12 Silver Falls in 8 states 13
Silver Falls AK Silver Falls CA Silver Falls CA Silver Falls CO Silver Falls CT Silver Falls MI Silver Falls MI Silver Falls OR Silver Falls OR Silver Falls OR Silver Falls TX Silver Falls WA Silver Falls WA
13 Great Falls in 9 states 12
Great Falls AL Great Falls AL Great Falls CT Great Falls ME Great Falls ME Great Falls ME Great Falls NH Great Falls NY Great Falls NC Great Falls OH Great Falls SC Great Falls TN
14 Horseshoe Falls in 10 states 11
Horseshoe Falls CO Horseshoe Falls IN Horseshoe Falls MI Horseshoe Falls NE Horseshoe Falls NY Horseshoe Falls OR Horseshoe Falls OR Horseshoe Falls RI Horseshoe Falls TX Horseshoe Falls WA Horseshoe Falls WI
15 Hidden Falls in 9 states 10
Hidden Falls AK Hidden Falls CA Hidden Falls CA Hidden Falls MN Hidden Falls MT Hidden Falls NC Hidden Falls SC Hidden Falls UT Hidden Falls WA Hidden Falls WY
16 Cedar Falls in 8 states 9
Cedar Falls AR Cedar Falls IL Cedar Falls MT Cedar Falls OH Cedar Falls OH Cedar Falls OK Cedar Falls SC Cedar Falls VA Cedar Falls WA
17 Horsetail Falls in 5 states 8
Horsetail Falls AK Horsetail Falls CA Horsetail Falls CA Horsetail Falls CA Horsetail Falls CA Horsetail Falls MT Horsetail Falls OR Horsetail Falls WA
18 Middle Falls in 7 states 8
Middle Falls CA Middle Falls MI Middle Falls MN Middle Falls NY Middle Falls NY Middle Falls NC Middle Falls OR Middle Falls WA
19 Eagle Falls in 6 states 6
Eagle Falls CA Eagle Falls CO Eagle Falls KY Eagle Falls NY Eagle Falls TN Eagle Falls WA
20 Grand Falls in 2 states 6
Grand Falls AZ Grand Falls ME Grand Falls ME Grand Falls ME Grand Falls ME Grand Falls ME
21 Laurel Falls in 2 states 6
Laurel Falls PA Laurel Falls TN Laurel Falls TN Laurel Falls TN Laurel Falls TN Laurel Falls TN
22 Mill Creek Falls in 3 states 6
Mill Creek Falls CA Mill Creek Falls CA Mill Creek Falls CA Mill Creek Falls OH Mill Creek Falls OR Mill Creek Falls OR
23 North Fork Falls in 4 states 6
North Fork Falls MT North Fork Falls OR North Fork Falls OR North Fork Falls WA North Fork Falls WY North Fork Falls WY
24 Salmon Falls in 3 states 6
Salmon Falls ID Salmon Falls ID Salmon Falls OR Salmon Falls OR Salmon Falls WA Salmon Falls WA
25 Beaver Falls in 5 states 5
Beaver Falls AK Beaver Falls AZ Beaver Falls NY Beaver Falls OR Beaver Falls WA
26 Crystal Falls in 5 states 5
Crystal Falls CO Crystal Falls NC Crystal Falls TN Crystal Falls WA Crystal Falls WY
27 Fall Creek Falls in 3 states 5
Fall Creek Falls ID Fall Creek Falls OR Fall Creek Falls OR Fall Creek Falls OR Fall Creek Falls TN
28 Granite Falls in 4 states 5
Granite Falls CO Granite Falls MI Granite Falls WA Granite Falls WA Granite Falls WY
29 Rock Creek Falls in 5 states 5
Rock Creek Falls MT Rock Creek Falls NC Rock Creek Falls OK Rock Creek Falls PA Rock Creek Falls WA
30 Angel Falls in 4 states 4
Angel Falls CA Angel Falls ME Angel Falls NY Angel Falls PA
31 Bear Creek Falls in 4 states 4
Bear Creek Falls CA Bear Creek Falls CO Bear Creek Falls ID Bear Creek Falls WA
32 Double Falls in 4 states 4
Double Falls MT Double Falls OR Double Falls TN Double Falls UT
33 Fern Falls in 3 states 4
Fern Falls CA Fern Falls CO Fern Falls ID Fern Falls ID
34 Jackson Falls in 4 states 4
Jackson Falls CA Jackson Falls NV Jackson Falls OR Jackson Falls TN
35 Ledge Falls in 1 state 4
Ledge Falls ME Ledge Falls ME Ledge Falls ME Ledge Falls ME
36 Little Niagara Falls in 4 states 4
Little Niagara Falls ME Little Niagara Falls OK Little Niagara Falls OR Little Niagara Falls WA
37 Lost Creek Falls in 4 states 4
Lost Creek Falls ID Lost Creek Falls MT Lost Creek Falls OR Lost Creek Falls WY
38 Maple Falls in 3 states 4
Maple Falls CA Maple Falls CA Maple Falls NJ Maple Falls WA
39 Rock Falls in 4 states 4
Rock Falls AL Rock Falls GA Rock Falls NE Rock Falls TX
40 Smith Falls in 3 states 4
Smith Falls ID Smith Falls ID Smith Falls NE Smith Falls OR

Showing the 40 most common names. Search above to look up any of 1,965 names.

The words hidden in waterfall names

Strip away the word “Falls” and a familiar vocabulary emerges — the geography (creeks, rivers, rock), the cardinal sections of a stream (upper, lower, middle), and the poetry of how water moves (rainbow, silver, bridal veil).

Creek
166
Upper
59
River
56
Little
54
Lower
51
Cascade
49
Big
40
Rock
32
Rainbow
27
Silver
26
High
25
Historical
24
Buttermilk
21
Bridal
19
Veil
19
Great
17
Fork
16
Twin
16
Cascades
15
Middle
15

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common waterfall name in America?

Rainbow Falls is the most common waterfall name in the United States — 26 different waterfalls across 14 states share that exact name. It is closely followed by Upper Falls (26) and Buttermilk Falls (21).

How many waterfalls share a name with another waterfall?

Of the 2,523 named waterfalls in our U.S. directory, 756 — about 30% — share their name with at least one other waterfall. Just 1,965 distinct names cover every waterfall in the country.

How many waterfalls have a one-of-a-kind name?

Roughly 1,767 U.S. waterfalls carry a name that no other waterfall in the directory shares.

Why do so many waterfalls have the same name?

Most repeated names are descriptive: 'Bridal Veil', 'Horsetail', and 'Rainbow' describe how the water falls, while 'Upper', 'Lower', and 'Middle' simply mark different drops on the same stream. Early settlers also reused familiar names across regions, so the same handful of names recur in dozens of states.

About this analysis

These figures are computed directly from the WaterfallHikes directory of 2,523 named U.S. waterfalls, sourced from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and enriched with trail, geology, and live streamflow data. Counts update automatically as the directory grows, and every waterfall listed links to its full page. Last updated June 16, 2026.

AS

Armen Suny

Founder & Researcher, WaterfallHikes — about the data

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