Borderline Falls
Washington · 20-foot drop · Alpine Lakes Wilderness · Last verified 2026-05-15
Flow at Borderline Falls is 435 cfs today, around its seasonal average.
Expect dry conditions today — don't drive out for this one. Flow is at 460 cfs (bottom 0% of the last 30 days, vs. 815.6 cfs average). The 7-day NOAA forecast shows no significant rain.
Right now
Streamflow
435 cfs
SOUTH FORK SKYKOMISH RIVER · 33m ago
Overnight
50°F
Mostly Clear
Friday
67°F
Mostly Sunny
Today's daylight
Sunrise 5:18 AM · Sunset 9:03 PM · 15h 45m
Snapshot built 12m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS SEW.
No verified photo yet
Borderline Falls is a waterfall in Washington. It drops roughly 20 feet. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Borderline Falls is in Washington. It drops along Miller River. The falls are inside Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The base sits at roughly 1,873 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 12 minutes from Baring. OpenStreetMap shows a trail within 20 meters of the marked location, though the name isn't recorded. No public parking is recorded within 2 km, so a longer approach is likely. It draws modest visitor attention — busier weekends, quiet weekdays. Source records come from OpenStreetMap.
Entry is free. Dogs on leash are welcome on the access trail. The approach is short and gentle enough for young kids.
There are a total of 3 waterfalls on the 2 forks of the Miller River. Below is a description for all of them:
Is the water flowing right now?
Most waterfall sites don't tell you this. The waterfall itself is almost never gauged, but a USGS streamgage in the same watershed can tell you whether snowmelt has started, peaked, or run dry.
USGS gage 12131500 · 4.3 mi away
SOUTH FORK SKYKOMISH RIVER AT SKYKOMISH, WA
View live discharge data →
30-day streamflow
Below 30-day average↻ Same date last year: 535 cfs · 86% of last year — similar
When to go (from the climate data, not our opinion)
Monthly averages from Open-Meteo's reanalysis dataset (2020–2024). Highlighted months are when we think the waterfall is at its best — but the numbers are the numbers regardless.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip (in) | Snow days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 29 | 13.7 | 22 |
| Feb | 40 | 27 | 11.7 | 22 |
| Mar | 45 | 29 | 5.5 | 19.4 |
| Apr | 49 | 32 | 5 | 14.6 |
| May | 58 | 38 | 4.5 | 6.2 |
| Jun | 67 | 47 | 4.7 | 0.8 |
| Jul | 76 | 53 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug | 76 | 53 | 1.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 70 | 49 | 3.4 | 0.2 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 7.7 | 5.2 |
| Nov | 45 | 32 | 11.9 | 16.2 |
| Dec | 40 | 28 | 12.5 | 21 |
Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API · ERA5 reanalysis 2020–2024.
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderline Falls (this page) | — | 20 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Immigration Falls | 1 mi | 20 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Engle Falls | 2 mi | 489 ft | — | — | — |
| Kanim Falls | 3 mi | 280 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Goat Creek Falls | 3 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Florence Falls | 4 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
Related waterfalls
On the same watercourse (Miller River)
- Florence Falls141 ft
- Immigration Falls20 ft
Similar height (~20 ft)
- Allatoona Falls20 ft
- Barrier Falls20 ft
- Bittersweet Falls20 ft
- Bridesmaid Falls20 ft
- Cheever Falls20 ft
Questions visitors ask about Borderline Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
How tall is Borderline Falls?
Borderline Falls is 20 feet (6.1 m) tall. Height is sourced from OSM.
Is Borderline Falls in a national or state park?
Yes — Borderline Falls is inside Alpine Lakes Wilderness. We inferred this from OpenStreetMap protected-area polygons; if you find we got the boundary wrong, please report it. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.
Can I bring my dog to Borderline Falls?
Yes — dogs are allowed (Alpine Lakes Wilderness permits leashed dogs in most areas). Inferred from park type; check the official site for trail-specific restrictions. Always leash and pack out waste.
Is there a fee to visit Borderline Falls?
No entrance fee. Alpine Lakes Wilderness is free to access. Some trailheads may charge a parking fee separately.
How far is Borderline Falls from a major city?
Borderline Falls is 8 miles from Baring (about 12 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in Washington
Where it is
47.6592, -121.4123
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_River_Waterfalls
Wikidata (Q6859236)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6859236
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
Been there?
Marina and Theo verify pages one road trip at a time. If you've been to Borderline Falls recently, your local knowledge improves the page for everyone. Pick the kind of contribution that fits — every email lands in our inbox and gets read (and credited when we publish).
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