Warning! Always use caution around
waterfalls because some hikes to them can be dangerous! Going off trail
might lead to a steep gorge or even make you fall off a high cliff. The
water spray on rocks near the base of the falls can be very slick if they
are covered with algae. One can only imagine how dangerous it would be to
fall into a powerful rapids while hiking along a river! Some people have
died trying to climb up a cascade or while taking a very steep hike to the
bottom of a falls. Jumping from the top of a waterfall into the pool below
can be very foolish if you don’t know how shallow the water is or what
objects are underneath. Be careful near canyon walls because loose rocks may
fall.
Some National or State parks have wild
animals like bears, wolves, coyotes, bison, mountain lions, elk, deer, moose,
snakes, etc. However, in my 4 years of hiking to waterfalls, I’ve only seen
bears at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon, while I didn’t see any at Yellowstone
or the Smoky Mountains. When I first saw a bear at
Yosemite, I was driving through the park thinking that’s a pretty big dog until
I finally realized what it was. I then got out of my car to take a picture while
I kept a safe distance from it behind numerous other people.
Always follow park advice and maintain a safe non threatening distance from all
wildlife at your National parks.
Some waterfalls are located on private
property and you may need to avoid it or seek the owner’s permission to view the falls.
Sure I take some risks when I hike to
waterfalls, but I use common sense and don’t go anywhere that looks dangerous.
Besides, there's other dangerous sports like mountain climbing, skiing, hunting,
boxing, football, etc. I just think the adrenaline rush you get by witnessing
the beauty of raw nature is worth the risk!
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