Should you go?
Building your recommendation…
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Plan the waterfall, not just the drive
Waterfall Window
How is it running now? Is it worth going? Would tomorrow be better? Get a plain-English answer for waterfalls across the U.S.
HOW IT LOOKS NOWGO OR WAITNOW · 24H · 3 DAYS
Check a waterfall
Where are you thinking about going?
Search a waterfall to see likely water volume now, whether it is worth the trip, and whether a better window is coming.
Niagara Falls rainbow planner
Trying to catch a rainbow at Niagara Falls?
The standalone Niagara Falls Rainbow Planner combines daylight, solar geometry, cloud cover, precipitation and visibility to show the current rainbow opportunity and the best upcoming daylight windows.
Destination specialist
Going to Shoshone Falls?
Shoshone Falls needs a stricter source model than a general waterfall estimate because upstream irrigation, Milner Dam operations and power-generation routing can separate nearby Snake River discharge from water actually spilling over the falls. The dedicated tool keeps that distinction visible, adds the official camera, travel-cost-aware advice and a time-budget visit planner.
Your waterfall plan
Waterfall
Water estimateConfidence
Right now
—/100
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Next 24 hours
—/100
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Next 3 days
—/100
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Why this recommendation
How we know
Current water
Water around the falls
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Compared with the season
Is this normal right now?
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What happens next
Water trend
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Rain ahead
Forecast precipitation
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Possible wild card
Dams and flow controls
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About the estimate
Different waterfalls need different evidence
Some waterfalls have a useful river gauge. Many smaller falls do not. Waterfall Window uses the strongest available water evidence for each place, then translates it into the same trip question: how good is the waterfall likely to look, and is there a better window coming?
When a good gauge existsCurrent measured river flow is compared with seasonal history and local model guidance.
When the falls is not directly gaugedNearby stream conditions and the local watershed model are combined to estimate whether water volume is low, normal or high for the season.
What the score meansThe 0–100 score is about waterfall spectacle and water volume, not whether the trail is open or the river edge is safe.
Why confidence variesConfidence is higher when measured water and historical context are strong, and lower when the tool must infer conditions from the surrounding watershed.
National Water Model output is guidance rather than an official NWS river forecast. Always check local access, trail, weather and safety information separately.