I’m often asked if I harbor any “secret” waterfalls. Am I holding back on some waterfalls and not publishing info about them in my books or on this website?

Sure, I have secrets. I choose to leave out some waterfalls for a variety of reasons. The main one applies to private property. I only include waterfalls on private land if they have a name or other characteristic that would likely make them known to others, or if they have a feature that adds meaningfully to our waterfall knowledge. For example, there are named waterfalls listed on USGS topo maps that are not accessible to the public. Anyone can see them on the map. I include those falls so everyone will know they can’t legally visit them, but a private waterfall that isn’t marked on a map wouldn’t be included unless there is another reason meriting it.

I sometimes withhold information because the environment around the waterfall is too sensitive even for limited visitation. There are other reasons for holding back that I feel no obligation to divulge.

I’ve included a few waterfalls on this site for which I don’t want to reveal location information regardless of the likelihood that one may learn about them from another source. Some of these falls are on public property. I’m including them for various reasons, the primary one being that the waterfall has a historical or cultural significance that provides educational relevance. Another reason is, admittedly, just because I want to.

I’m listing these waterfalls as Undisclosed Waterfall no. 1, no. 2, and so on. Not very flattering names, I admit, but what would you suggest? I can’t give you the real name for some of them because that would reveal information you could use to find them.

Think of it like this. I’m providing the ultimate challenge of determining where these waterfalls are without providing any info to help in the endeavor. Anyone who succeeds given these circumstances is someone I feel confident will honor the spirit in which I have kept their locations secret. And if they don’t, well, perhaps looking down the barrel end of a shotgun might persuade them. Remember, some of these waterfalls are on private property and I’m the last person you should worry about.