(CNN) — You’re likely to sweat a little to get to some of the best waterfalls. But they deliver a cool refuge and a powerful reminder of nature’s force.
Waterfalls splash through national parks and preserves and are tucked away in state parks known only to nearby residents. Waterfall lovers will travel thousands of miles and hike or bike to see these prime examples of nature in action.
1. Havasu Falls: Grand Canyon, Arizona
Those who brave the Arizona heat to visit Havasu Falls are rewarded with refreshing natural swimming pools. Year-round water temperatures stay near a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
The village and falls are only accessible by hiking or horseback. It’s a 10-mile trip from the trailhead to the falls, which are about two miles beyond Supai Village. Hiking conditions are excellent in the earlier spring and later fall, with moderate temperatures.
2. Triple Falls: Western Gorge, Oregon
Triple Falls from Oneonta Creek, Oregon
Shutterstock
A moderately steep 5-mile round trip hiking trail takes visitors to an overlook above the segmented waterfall, but hikers rarely venture to the base. There are 10 other waterfalls within a few miles, but take the time to see Triple Falls. It’s one of most beautiful falls in the gorge because of its unusual, segmented pattern.
3. Waimoku Falls: Maui, Hawaii
On the way to Waimoku, hikers will pass the 185-foot Makahiku Falls and through a thick bamboo forest. Flowing down a steep lava-rock wall, covered by moss and vegetation, Waimoku Falls and the pool below are visible and accessible from a rocky hill above.
Swimming is possible in the Kipahula District, but the pool under Waimoku Falls is not deep enough and falling rocks are a risk. There are much better-suited pools along the way. Check with the visitor center before you start your hike for current conditions.
4. Blackwater Falls: Davis, West Virginia
You can see the waterfall from numerous spots within the park, watching the amber-colored river plunge down and twist through the 8-mile long gorge.
The tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles is responsible for the tinted water that gives the spot its name. The falls are open year-round, with a beautiful array of wildflowers, panoramic views and a winter sled run.
5. Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls, Idaho
At their most powerful, the falls extend across the entire 900-foot-wide canyon, spilling into the Snake River below. Depending on the volume of water, the falls can take the form of a few trickling streams or a solid wall of water. Spring and early summer are the best times to see the falls at full force.
Nearby recreation areas offer an abundance of water sports, such as canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding on the Snake River.
6. Bridal Veil Falls: Valdez, Alaska
A frozen waterfall? In winter, that’s what you’ll find when you visit Bridal Veil Falls, about 15 miles outside Valdez, Alaska.
For adventurous travelers up for the ice climb route, Bridal Veil Falls is one of the most accessible, lengthiest and widest ice climbs along the Keystone Canyon. Its closeness to the ocean keeps temperatures around freezing, rather than the sub-arctic temperatures seen in other parts of the canyon.
7. Cascade Falls: Giles County, Virginia
Cascade Falls in Virginia.
U.S. Forest Service
During the winter, ice formations hang from the surrounding 200-foot cliff wall, with wooden stairs and platforms for close, easy viewing and great photographs of the falls.
8. Vernal Fall: Yosemite, California
Vernal Fall is visible from a footbridge less than a mile into the hike. Just beyond the bridge the two trails diverge. Adventurous hikers can continue along the Mist Trail up 600 granite steps of “nature’s giant staircase” to the top of 317-foot Vernal Fall. Expect waterfall spray in the spring and early summer. Beyond Vernal Fall on the Mist Trail you’ll find the impressive Nevada Fall.
While a late July wildfire has hit Yosemite, the park remains open and the falls remain accessible.
Amid several years of drought, Vernal Fall is one of the better waterfalls to seek out, according to a National Park Service spokeswoman, because it is fed by a glacier and a spring in addition to snow melt. Some of the park’s other falls are running dry due to the lack of precipitation.
9. Potato River Falls: Gurney, Wisconsin
When most people think of the Midwest, waterfalls don’t immediately spring to mind.
