Which waterfalls are free and which charge? Entrance fees, parking passes and permits at 40 popular US falls, and which pass covers which kind of land.
Some of the best-known waterfalls in the country cost nothing to see, and some cost more than a nice dinner. The difference usually comes down to who owns the land: city parks and a few federal and state systems are free, most national forests and many state parks charge for parking, and privately run attractions sell tickets. If you know which kind of land a waterfall sits on, you can usually guess what it will cost and which pass will cover it.
I've been checking fees, parking and permits for the most-visited waterfalls on this site against official park, forest and attraction pages. This guide sums up what I found at the first 40, explains the pass systems behind the prices, and lists the falls where a reservation matters more than money. Prices change, sometimes mid-season, so treat every number here as a starting point and check the managing agency's page the week you go.
The Short Version: 40 Popular Falls, Checked
As of early November 2026, here's how the 40 waterfalls break down:
| What you pay | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| No entry fee for at least one way in | 13 | Multnomah, Snoqualmie, Cumberland, Fall Creek, Brandywine, Bash Bish, Ithaca Falls |
| Vehicle, entrance or parking fee | 16 | Burney, McWay, Palouse, Latourell, Franklin, Tumalo, Bond, Great Falls (MD) |
| Per-person admission or ticket | 7 | Ruby Falls, Bushkill, Turner Falls, Noccalula, Waimea, Anna Ruby, Sliding Rock |
| Reservation and multi-night permit | 1 | Havasu Falls |
| Not yet confirmed | 3 | Manoa, Cummins (overlook free, gorge permit price not posted), Munising |
Rainbow Falls and Wailua Falls in Hawaii charge non-residents both per person and per vehicle; I've counted those two under vehicle fees. A "free" waterfall can still have a paid lot nearby, so read the parking details on each waterfall's page before you assume.
Free Waterfalls and Why They're Free
City parks
City-owned falls are often the easiest free stops. Ithaca Falls in Ithaca, New York, is a two-minute walk from Lake Street with no fee, and there's even a city bus stop at the entrance. Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis has no entry fee either, though some of its lots and street spaces are pay parking, with a free lot as well.
Fee-free national park units
Not every National Park Service site charges admission. Brandywine Falls is in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which has no entrance fee; the catch is a lot of about 90 spaces with no overflow, which often fills by mid-morning on nice days. Little Niagara Falls in Chickasaw National Recreation Area is also free, with no entrance or parking fee, and it's one of the few falls on this list where swimming is allowed, downstream of the falls only.
Dingmans Falls in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area has no fee for the falls themselves. The $10 fee people sometimes mention there is for a separate river access area. Note that the Dingmans Falls trail has been closed to everyone since May 12, 2025, for bridge and trail reconstruction, with no reopening date posted.
Free state parks
Tennessee doesn't charge an entry or parking fee at Fall Creek Falls, where a paved path leads from the lot to the overlook of the 256-foot drop. Kentucky's Cumberland Falls has free lots too, though they fill early on weekends and on moonbow nights. In Massachusetts, Bash Bish Falls has a free lot on Falls Road with room for about 24 cars, and roadside parking is prohibited, so arrive early or use the longer, gentler approach from the New York side.
Free with a catch
Multnomah Falls has no entry fee, but in summer 2026 the I-84 Exit 31 lot needed a timed-use permit from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between May 22 and September 7, booked online with a $2 transaction fee. Snoqualmie Falls is free to visit, but the lots next to the falls cost $7; the free lot across the street connects by a sky bridge. Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon is free, but an October 23, 2026 rockslide closed the trail to the base through the winter.
Parking Passes: Which Pass Covers Which Land
Most confusion about waterfall fees comes from passes. There are three main kinds, and they don't cover each other.
Federal passes for national forests and national parks
National forest waterfalls usually charge a small day-use fee or accept an annual pass. At Franklin Falls in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the trailhead takes a $5 National Forest Day Pass, a $30 Northwest Forest Pass, or an interagency pass. Tumalo Falls near Bend is $5 per vehicle per day, or a Northwest Forest Pass or interagency pass. Dry Falls in western North Carolina is $3 per vehicle, and a $15 annual pass there also covers Whiteside Mountain and Whitewater Falls.
Some forest sites charge per person instead. Anna Ruby Falls in Georgia is $6 per visitor age 16 and up, and Sliding Rock near Brevard is $6 per person (5 and under free) during the staffed season.
National parks that charge an entrance fee cover their waterfalls with it. Mystic Falls has no trail fee, but you pay Yellowstone's entrance fee to get there. Great Falls on the Maryland side of the Potomac sits inside the C&O Canal fee area, which charges $20 per vehicle, card only.
The interagency America the Beautiful pass covers national park entrance fees and many national forest day-use fees. It's the best value if you'll visit several federal waterfalls in a year, but it stops at the state park line.
State park passes
Each state runs its own system:
- Michigan: a Recreation Passport is required for vehicles at state parks and scenic sites, including Bond Falls, Tahquamenon's Upper Falls and Ocqueoc Falls. Non-residents paid $12 a day or $42 a year at Tahquamenon. The DNR says the America the Beautiful pass does not grant vehicle entry, and walkers and nonmotorized cyclists don't need a passport at all.
- Washington: the Discover Pass ($10 a day or $45 a year) covers state lands like Palouse Falls, but it is not valid at national forest trailheads like Franklin Falls.
- Oregon: since March 30, 2026, the Latourell Falls trailhead in Guy W. Talbot State Park requires a day-use parking permit, $10 for Oregon residents and $12 for nonresidents. If you're planning a full Gorge day, my Columbia River Gorge waterfalls road trip notes which stops need which pass.
- California: state parks charge day-use fees per vehicle, such as $10 at Burney Falls and $10 at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for McWay Falls. The McWay overlook trail is currently closed for retaining-wall work.
- Hawaii: non-residents pay $5 per person plus $10 per vehicle, card only, at Rainbow Falls and, since February 22, 2026, at Wailua Falls. Hawaii residents are free.
- Alabama: the DeSoto Falls picnic area near Mentone is $5 per vehicle.
Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho, charges $5 per vehicle while the ticket booth is open, with a $25 season pass.
The pass you probably need
If most of your waterfall trips are in one state, that state's annual pass usually pays for itself in three or four visits. If you travel to national parks and forests, the federal annual pass is the better buy. Many people who chase waterfalls end up with both, plus a day fee here and there.
Ticketed Attractions
A handful of famous falls are run as attractions, with prices closer to a museum than a park. These were the posted adult prices when I checked:
| Waterfall | Adult price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby Falls, TN | $29.95 | Timed tickets sold online only; underground cave tour |
| Waimea Falls, HI | $26 | Hawaii residents and military $10; paved 3/4-mile path |
| Bushkill Falls, PA | $24 | Trails past eight falls; free parking |
| Turner Falls, OK | $16 to $20 summer, $9 to $12 winter | Weekend rates are higher |
| Noccalula Falls, AL | $10 | Ages 4 to 12 and seniors 55+ pay $8 |
What the ticket buys varies. At Ruby Falls it's a guided cave walk with an elevator descent. At Waimea, swimming is sometimes allowed, but only when lifeguards decide conditions are safe, with required life jackets provided free. If swimming is the goal, my guide to swimming at waterfalls covers how to tell a managed swim area from a dangerous plunge pool.
When a Permit Matters More Than the Price
A few falls are limited by reservations, not cost, and those take planning months ahead.
Havasu Falls, Arizona. Havasu Falls is on the Havasupai Reservation, outside Grand Canyon National Park. Every visitor needs a reservation, day hiking isn't allowed, and every stay is 4 days and 3 nights. For 2026 the campground cost $455 per person and the lodge $2,277 per room for up to four. The hike is 10 miles one way from Hualapai Hilltop to the campground, and pets and service animals aren't allowed anywhere on the reservation.
Cummins Falls, Tennessee. The 0.35-mile trail to the Cummins Falls overlook is free with no permit. Going down into the gorge to the base and swimming area takes a Gorge Access Permit bought online in advance, and the gorge closes quickly when flash flooding threatens.
Multnomah Falls, Oregon. The summer timed-use permit applies only to the I-84 lot during daytime hours. Arrive before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. in season and you didn't need one in 2026.
How to Check a Waterfall's Fee Before You Go
- Find out who manages the land. The waterfall's page on this site lists sources when I've checked it. Otherwise, search the waterfall's name with "state park," "national forest" or "NPS" and open the official page, not a review site.
- Look for the fee and pass page. Agencies list day-use fees and accepted passes separately from trail descriptions.
- Check alerts the same week. Of the 40 falls here, Dingmans, Munising, McWay and Bridal Veil all had closures in 2026. A closed trail costs nothing, but it can cost you a long drive.
- Have a card ready. Great Falls in Maryland and Hawaii's state park waterfalls are card only, and several sites use self-registration stations or online-only tickets.
- Plan for full lots. Free waterfalls fill first. Brandywine, Cumberland, Dry Falls and Bash Bish all have small or quickly filled lots, and several sites ban roadside parking outright.
Timing helps your wallet as well as your view. Some fees are seasonal, and off-season trips mean fewer people at the free lots. My best time to visit waterfalls guide covers how flow changes through the year, which matters more than the fee at most of these places.
Where to Find Free Falls Near You
Every waterfall page on this site with checked trip details now shows whether a fee applies, alongside trail length, dogs, swimming and accessibility. City guides like waterfalls near New York City include a fee column for the falls I've verified. I'm adding more each week, and if a detail isn't listed yet, it means I haven't confirmed it, not that the answer is no.
Frequently asked questions
Are most waterfalls free to visit?
Many are, but fewer than people expect at the famous ones. Of the 40 heavily visited waterfalls we have checked so far, 13 had no entry fee for at least one way in, 24 charged an entrance fee, a parking fee or a per-person ticket, and 3 had rules we could not pin down. The free ones tend to be on city land, in fee-free national park units, or in states like Tennessee and Massachusetts that do not charge at the parks we checked.
Does the America the Beautiful pass work at state park waterfalls?
No. The interagency America the Beautiful pass covers federal fee areas, such as national park entrance fees and many national forest day-use sites. It does not cover state parks. Michigan's DNR says plainly that it does not grant vehicle entry to Michigan state parks, which need a Recreation Passport instead.
Does the Washington Discover Pass work at Franklin Falls?
No. Franklin Falls is in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, so its trailhead needs a federal pass: a $5 National Forest Day Pass, a $30 Northwest Forest Pass, or an interagency pass. The Discover Pass is for Washington state lands, such as Palouse Falls State Park.
Which waterfalls need a reservation or permit?
Havasu Falls needs a reservation for every visitor, with a mandatory 4-day, 3-night stay. Cummins Falls in Tennessee needs a Gorge Access Permit to go down to the base and swimming area. Multnomah Falls needed a timed-use permit for its I-84 lot during summer daytime hours in 2026, and Ruby Falls sells timed tickets online only.
Can you avoid a parking fee by walking or biking in?
Sometimes. Michigan's Recreation Passport is only required for motor vehicles, so walkers and cyclists can enter without one, and Bond Falls has free roadside parking at the top of the falls. Snoqualmie Falls has a free lot across the street from the paid lots. Where roadside parking is banned, as at Bash Bish Falls and Kaaterskill Falls, do not try it.
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