Falling Water Cascades
Virginia · 328-foot drop · Jefferson National Forest · Last verified 2026-05-15
Falling Water Cascades is at 568 cfs of flow today, on the upper end of typical conditions.
Right now
Streamflow
568 cfs
JAMES RIVER AT BUCHANAN, · 50m ago
Overnight
63°F
Partly Cloudy
Tuesday
77°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Today's daylight
Sunrise 6:18 AM · Sunset 8:30 PM · 14h 12m
Snapshot built 11m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS RNK.
No verified photo yet
Falling Water Cascades is a waterfall in Virginia. It drops roughly 328 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.
Falling Water Cascades is in Virginia. The falls are inside Jefferson National Forest. The base sits at roughly 2,289 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 10 minutes from Buchanan. OpenStreetMap shows a trail within 10 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.
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 02019500 · 6.5 mi away
JAMES RIVER AT BUCHANAN, VA
View live discharge data →
30-day streamflow
Below 30-day average↻ Same date last year: 1,010 cfs · 58% of last year — significantly drier
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falling Water Cascades (this page) | — | 328 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Apple Orchard Falls | 4 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Lace Falls | 11 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Panther Falls | 23 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Falling Rock Falls | 23 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Statons Creek Falls | 27 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
Related waterfalls
Similar height (~328 ft)
- Falls Creek Falls335 ft
- Great Falls320 ft
- Lower Yosemite Fall320 ft
- Munson Creek Falls319 ft
- Upper Foss River Falls337 ft
Questions visitors ask about Falling Water Cascades
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 Falling Water Cascades?
Falling Water Cascades is 328 feet (100 m) tall. Height is sourced from Wikidata.
Is Falling Water Cascades in a national or state park?
Yes — Falling Water Cascades is inside Jefferson National Forest. 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 Falling Water Cascades?
Yes — dogs are allowed (Jefferson National Forest 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 Falling Water Cascades?
No entrance fee. Jefferson National Forest is free to access. Some trailheads may charge a parking fee separately.
How far is Falling Water Cascades from a major city?
Falling Water Cascades is 7 miles from Buchanan (about 10 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in Virginia
Where it is
37.4764, -79.5816
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
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 Falling Water Cascades 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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