There are multiple places in Washington State where a very respectable and sometimes spectacular waterfall is nearly eclipsed by an even bigger one nearby. It just so happens that there is one of these situations in Kitsap County. It turns out, "
Tin Mine Falls" has a much smaller sibling.
During the wet times of the year (fall/winter/spring), small ponds and rain runoff give rise to a quaint little brook along the mountainside between Tin Mine Creek and a smaller tributary to the west. This tiny stream, nearly imperceptible on topographic maps and imagery, babbles through the forest, running generally northeast, straight towards Tin Mine Creek's canyon. Just downstream of "Tin Mine Falls," the brook intersects the near-vertical basalt canyon wall of and promptly dives over it. The resulting 40+ foot ribbon-like waterfall is startlingly beautiful, and would be commanding the attention of everything around it if it wasn't dwarfed by its colossal neighbor.
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| The lower section of "Claire Falls" as it's namesake looks on. Photo by Micah K. |
It is likely that this fall runs dry by July or August, but when it is flowing, it is a beautiful sight indeed, and so I have it included in my survey. After I first saw it in January 2015, I was trying to think of a name for it for months. One day a good friend of mine visited, and I took her to see "Tin Mine Falls." While she enjoyed "Tin Mine Falls" immensely, she also took an extreme liking to this little ephemeral fall. Because of this, I decided to name the fall after her.
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