The 10 Best Cliff Jumping Spots in Washington
Washington has 14 documented cliff jumping spots on CliffScout, 14 of them community-verified. These are the standouts — ranked by verification, documentation, and community activity, not hype. Every listing links to a full page with photos, heights, and access notes.
Washington's cliff jumping splits between the wet west side and the sunny east. The Columbia River Gorge and its tributaries hold the headliners — Dougan and Naked Falls on the Washougal River, Spirit Falls on the Little White Salmon, and the Eagle/Skykomish rivers' Eagle Falls near Gold Bar. The Green River Gorge near Enumclaw and Moulton/Sunset Falls near Yacolt are Cascade-foothill classics. East of the mountains, warm-water reservoirs and lakes take over — Banks Lake and Sun Lakes' Deep Lake in the coulees, Whistle Lake near Anacortes, and Lake Kachess. West-side river water is cold and several spots have drowning histories, so scout depth and current before every jump.
- 1
Deep Lake (Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park) Verified
Coulee City · jumps ~5 ft
Deep Lake sits in Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, about 3 miles west of Coulee City off WA-17; look for the separate Deep Lake access road inside the park (Discover Pass required). Ice Age flood-carved basalt cliffs line the… Full guide →
- 2
Kachess Lake Verified
Easton · jumps 27–35 ft
Kachess Lake sits off I-90 at the Lake Kachess/Stampede Pass exit, about 10 miles east of Snoqualmie Pass. Exit at the campground, then follow a dirt forest-service road roughly 3 miles to a waterfall area with jumps in the 25-35… Full guide →
- 3
Cascade Lake Verified
Eastsound
Cascade Lake sits inside Moran State Park on Orcas Island, reached via the Anacortes-Orcas ferry (about 1 hr 20 min) then a short drive to Eastsound and the park entrance; a park day-use fee or Discover Pass applies. The original… Full guide →
- 4
Eagle Falls Verified
Gold Bar
Eagle Falls drops about 25 feet into a large granite-bedrock pool on the South Fork Skykomish River, just off US-2 near a marked pullout around milepost 38-39 between Gold Bar and Index, with a short path down from the highway… Full guide →
- 5
Banks Lake Verified
Hartline
Banks Lake is a 27-mile basalt-coulee reservoir between Coulee City and Electric City, reached via Highway 2 and Route 155. It's a well-known deep-water-soloing and cliff-jumping destination, with rock walls rising straight from… Full guide →
- 6
Eagle Falls, Skykomish River Verified
Skykomish
Eagle Falls is a roughly 25-foot cascade and swimming hole on the Skykomish River, right off Highway 2 near milepost 39 between Index and Halford — park at the pullout on the south side and take the short path down to the granite… Full guide →
- 7
Dougan Falls Verified
Washougal
Dougan Falls is a well-documented swimming and cliff-jumping spot on the Washougal River in Skamania County, reached via Washougal River Road with parking near Dougan Creek Campground (a Washington Discover Pass is required,… Full guide →
- 8
Lake Merwin Verified
Woodland
Lake Merwin is a Lewis River reservoir near Ariel, Washington. From Portland take I-205 north, then Highway 503 toward Battle Ground and Amboy, following NE Chelachie Road to a one-lane bridge crossing a narrow arm of the lake —… Full guide →
- 9
Moulton Falls Regional Park Verified
Yacolt
Moulton Falls Regional Park sits at 27781 NE Lucia Falls Road in Yacolt (Clark County), where the East Fork Lewis River meets Big Tree Creek beneath a landmark arch footbridge; free on-site parking. Below the falls, a rocky… Full guide →
- 10
Whistle Lake Verified
Anacortes
Whistle Lake sits inside the Anacortes Community Forest Lands on Fidalgo Island, reached by parking at the Whistle Lake Road trailhead and hiking or biking about 1.3 miles of dirt track to the shore (no fee). Cliffs on the west… Full guide →
Exact coordinates, water depths, and community clips for every spot above:
Get the CliffScout app — free★ 5.0 on the App Store · every Washington spot mapped
Cliff jumping in Washington: common questions
Where can you cliff jump in Washington?
The Washougal River (Dougan and Naked Falls), Eagle Falls near Gold Bar, the Green River Gorge, Moulton and Sunset Falls near Yacolt, and Spirit Falls in the Gorge. East of the Cascades: Banks Lake, Sun Lakes' Deep Lake, Whistle Lake, and Lake Kachess.
Is cliff jumping legal in Washington?
Most river spots are unofficial and several — like Eagle Falls — have drowning histories and are signed or patrolled. It's widely done, but check posted rules and never jump without scouting the water first.
Is the water cold at Washington cliff jumping spots?
West-side rivers (Washougal, Skykomish, the Gorge) are cold year-round. The eastern reservoirs and coulee lakes (Banks, Deep Lake) warm up nicely in summer and are the most comfortable swimming.
Browse the full list: all 14 spots in Washington