Bonner County, Idaho

Waterfalls Near Ponderay, ID

There are 7 named waterfalls within a 30-mile radius of Ponderay. Grouse Creek Falls is the closest at 14 miles to the northeast. Snow Creek Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.9 stars from 70 Google reviews). Most of the falls are west of Ponderay.

Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.

Photo of Snow Creek Falls in Boundary County, Idaho
Pictured: Snow Creek Falls, ID

Best Waterfalls Near Ponderay at a Glance

Photo of Albeni Falls near Priest River, ID
With recorded history

Albeni Falls

Has a USGS description or naming history.

7 Waterfalls Near Ponderay, Ranked by Distance

  1. Grouse Creek Falls

    Ponderay, ID · Bonner County · 14 mi northeast of Ponderay
    4.6 (31 reviews)

    Grouse Creek Falls is the closest named waterfall to Ponderay, 14 miles to the northeast in Bonner County. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Ponderay.

    Rating
    4.6 (31 Google reviews)
    Address
    Bonner County, ID 83864 (GPS 48.4583, -116.3388)
    Known for
    nice hike, camping spots, beautiful spot, waterfall
    View details Directions

  2. McAbee Falls

    Priest River, ID · Bonner County · 16 mi west of Ponderay
    4.8 (6 reviews)

    McAbee Falls lies 16 miles west of Ponderay in Bonner County, number 2 of 7 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near Ponderay. Its own nearest town is Priest River.

    Rating
    4.8 (6 Google reviews)
    Address
    Bonner County, ID 83856 (GPS 48.2844, -116.8718)
    View details Directions

  3. Char Falls

    Ponderay, ID · Bonner County · 17 mi east of Ponderay
    4.6 (21 reviews)

    Char Falls lies 17 miles east of Ponderay in Bonner County, number 3 of 7 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Ponderay.

    Rating
    4.6 (21 Google reviews)
    Address
    Bonner County, ID 83864 (GPS 48.3663, -116.1708)
    View details Directions

  4. Torrelle Falls

    Priest River, ID · Bonner County · 20 mi west of Ponderay
    2.4 (7 reviews)

    Torrelle Falls lies 20 miles west of Ponderay in Bonner County, number 4 of 7 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Ponderay. Its own nearest town is Priest River.

    Rating
    2.4 (7 Google reviews)
    Address
    Bonner County, ID 83856 (GPS 48.2849, -116.9585)
    View details Directions

  5. Mission Falls

    Priest River, ID · Bonner County · 20 mi northwest of Ponderay
    4.3 (3 reviews)

    Mission Falls lies 20 miles northwest of Ponderay in Bonner County, number 5 of 7 by distance. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near Ponderay. Its own nearest town is Priest River.

    Rating
    4.3 (3 Google reviews)
    Address
    Bonner County, ID 83856 (GPS 48.4215, -116.9288)
    View details Directions

  6. Albeni Falls

    Priest River, ID · Bonner County · 23 mi west of Ponderay

    Albeni Falls lies 23 miles west of Ponderay in Bonner County, number 6 of 7 by distance. USGS notes: On the Clark Fork in Kaniksu NF just E of Newport, WA; a gigantic cascade, formed by a rugged constriction which holds back the waters of Lake Pend d'Oreille in springtime, causing extremely high water.

    Address
    Bonner County, ID 83822 (GPS 48.1777, -117.0013)
    View details Directions

  7. Snow Creek Falls

    Bonners Ferry, ID · Boundary County · 25 mi north of Ponderay
    4.9 (70 reviews)

    Snow Creek Falls lies 25 miles north of Ponderay in Boundary County, number 7 of 7 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Ponderay. Its own nearest town is Bonners Ferry.

    Rating
    4.9 (70 Google reviews)
    Address
    Boundary County, ID 83805 (GPS 48.6674, -116.4294)
    View details Directions

Where the Waterfalls Are

Ponderay sits in or near the North Idaho Panhandle area of Idaho. The Panhandle is Idaho's wettest region, with cedar and hemlock forest that feels closer to the Pacific Northwest than to the Rockies. Glaciers scoured these valleys, leaving steep side drainages where creeks plunge toward the Kootenai River and Lake Pend Oreille. Near Bonners Ferry, Snow Creek Falls and Copper Falls are reached by short forest trails, while Bonner County falls lie around Priest River. Farther south, Fern Falls sits in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains of Shoshone County, and Elk Creek Falls in Clearwater County is a series of drops in a rugged canyon. Moss, ferns and mist define the character here. Read the Idaho waterfall guide.

By direction from Ponderay: 3 to the west, 1 to the north, 1 to the northeast, 1 to the east, and 1 to the northwest. They are spread across Bonner County (6) and Boundary County (1). The average distance is 19.3 miles.

By Distance

10 to 20 miles of Ponderay

Grouse Creek Falls (14 mi), McAbee Falls (16 mi), Char Falls (17 mi), Torrelle Falls (20 mi), Mission Falls (20 mi)

20 to 30 miles of Ponderay

Albeni Falls (23 mi), Snow Creek Falls (25 mi)

Nearby Towns With Waterfalls

Waterfalls Near Ponderay: FAQs

How many waterfalls are near Ponderay, ID?

7 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Ponderay: 0 within 10 miles, 5 10 to 20 miles, 2 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.

What is the closest waterfall to Ponderay?

Grouse Creek Falls in Bonner County is the closest, about 14 miles northeast of Ponderay.

What is the best-rated waterfall near Ponderay?

Snow Creek Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.9 stars from 70 Google reviews.

Which counties are the waterfalls near Ponderay in?

Bonner County (6) and Boundary County (1).

How does Ponderay compare with other Idaho towns?

Ponderay ranks 10th of the 28 Idaho towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.