Updated July 2026
Char Falls
A semi-remote roughly 50-foot waterfall on Char Creek in the Kaniksu National Forest off the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway in northern Idaho. A short, low-gain out-and-back trail reaches a viewpoint above the falls.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check U.S. Forest Service (Idaho Panhandle National Forests) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Char Falls drops about 50 feet. That makes it the 424th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 42% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Char Falls Trail reaches it about 1.2 miles (out-and-back), rated easy. The nearest town is Sandpoint. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with U.S. Forest Service (Idaho Panhandle National Forests) for closures and current conditions.
May to September. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More Idaho waterfalls
- Bridal Veil Falls
- Copper Falls · 160 ft
- Elk Creek Falls
- Fall Creek Falls · 60 ft
- Jump Creek Falls · 55 ft
- Lower Mesa Falls · 65 ft
- Perrine Coulee Falls · 197 ft
- Pillar Falls · 20 ft
Sources
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