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At Niagara Falls, spray freezes onto trees and railings while the river keeps thundering below. In Ohio’s Hocking Hills, a thin waterfall can build an ice column beneath a huge sandstone overhang. And in Minnesota, one of the most striking winter waterfalls in the country is just a light-rail ride from downtown Minneapolis.
Each waterfall freezes a little differently. Some grow thick curtains of ice. Others keep a ribbon of moving water between frozen ledges. A stretch of sustained cold usually matters more than a fresh snowfall, especially in Oregon and the Mid-Atlantic. Check local conditions before making a long drive, and stick to open trails and designated overlooks. Falling ice can reach the base of a waterfall, and spray can glaze paths that look dry from a distance.
1. Niagara Falls, New York
From Prospect Point on the American side, you can watch the falls disappear into mist above a jumble of ice-coated boulders. The colder it gets, the farther the white crust spreads along the banks, up the trees, and over the railings. The river keeps flowing, and the contrast between all that motion and the frozen landscape is what makes Niagara worth seeing in winter. Start at Prospect Point for the American Falls.
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2. Upper Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan
The Tahquamenon River is naturally amber, a color that stands out against the snow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Along the broad Upper Falls, ice builds around the edges while dark water can continue pouring over the center. The boardwalk to the brink takes you through old-growth forest, but make time for the gorge viewpoint too. From there, you can see how far the falls stretch from bank to bank.
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3. Minnehaha Falls, Minnesota
During a deep Minneapolis freeze, this 53-foot waterfall can turn into a curtain of pale blue ice, with long ridges hanging over the gorge. Its setting makes it all the more surprising. You can get here by light rail and be back in the city for lunch. In winter, view the falls from the footbridge above the cascade or the overlook near the pavilion. The stairs down to the creek are closed for the season.
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4. Wildcat Canyon Falls, Illinois
After sustained cold, a waterfall in Starved Rock State Park can turn into a column of ice hanging more than 90 feet down a sandstone wall. Wildcat Canyon’s narrow shape makes the formation feel even taller. Start from the visitor center or lodge, and check the park’s trail alerts before setting out. Closures can affect connecting routes, so plan around the trails open to Wildcat Canyon that day.
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5. Taughannock Falls, New York
The 215-foot main drop is impressive on its own, but winter puts the whole gorge on display. Icicles gather along the cliff ledges, and freezing spray can build a mound of ice where the water lands. Start at the upper overlook for a view across the gorge. If the Gorge Trail is open, the walk to the lower viewing area shows just how high those rock walls rise. The park closes sections when ice makes them hazardous.
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6. Arethusa Falls, New Hampshire
In Crawford Notch, a tall wall of ice emerges through the trees at the end of a roughly three-mile round-trip hike. The wide rock face gives the freezing water room to spread, forming separate pillars and ribs instead of one narrow column. This is one of the more demanding outings on the list. The trail climbs steadily, and packed snow and ice can make it feel longer than the mileage suggests.
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7. High Falls at Grand Portage State Park, Minnesota
The Pigeon River drops 120 feet here, with Minnesota on one side of the gorge and Ontario on the other. In cold weather, thick ice gathers against the rock while water can still break through in dark channels. A roughly one-mile round-trip walk leads to the viewing area. From the platforms, you can take in Minnesota’s tallest waterfall and look across the river into Canada.
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8. Kaaterskill Falls, New York
This Catskills waterfall drops about 260 feet in two stages. In winter, ice gathers around both tiers and traces the rim of the rocky amphitheater beneath the upper drop. The viewing platform reached from Laurel House Road gives you the best overview for the least walking. It’s a particularly good choice in icy weather, when the steep stairs toward the lower sections can be much more demanding.
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9. Rifle Falls, Colorado
Three separate cascades spill over a limestone ledge at Rifle Falls State Park. In winter, each one can take on a different shape, with thick icicles framing a narrow stream in one section and sheets of ice spreading across another. The short approach to the base is the one to prioritize. From there, you can see all three streams at once, along with the dark openings in the limestone behind them.
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10. Multnomah Falls, Oregon
It takes a serious cold spell to see Multnomah Falls at its iciest. When it happens, the upper drop hangs like a white ribbon above Benson Bridge, and icicles spread across the cliff below. The lower viewing area gives you the classic composition with both tiers and the bridge in one frame. Check access before leaving, since the same weather that creates the ice can affect travel through the Columbia River Gorge.
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11. Ash Cave Falls, Ohio
The waterfall at Ash Cave can be surprisingly thin. That’s part of what makes the winter transformation so dramatic. Given enough cold, water freezes as it lands, building a mound that can rise into a freestanding column beneath the overhang. The paved lower trail leads through a hemlock gorge to the enormous sandstone recess, where the ice looks especially bright against the sheltered rock.
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12. Thunderbird Falls, Alaska
Near Eklutna, a one-mile trail follows the edge of a wooded canyon to a deck facing a roughly 200-foot waterfall. In winter, the water freezes against the rock, leaving a pale streak that stands out through the bare birches. The upper viewing deck gives you the full drop from across the gorge. It’s a rewarding half-day outing from Anchorage, especially when fresh snow outlines the canyon walls.
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13. Blackwater Falls, West Virginia
The Blackwater River gets its tea-colored tint from tannins, and that dark water makes a striking backdrop for the ice that builds around the 57-foot cascade. The Gentle Trail offers a short route to an upper view. The closer boardwalk involves more than 200 steps, so check its status and conditions first. After fresh snow, the evergreen-lined gorge is worth seeing even when only part of the falls has frozen.
14. Bridal Veil Falls in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota
You can see this Black Hills waterfall from the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, where an observation platform faces the cliff. The roughly 60-foot cascade freezes into narrow flutes and ridges that show up especially well against the layered rock. It’s one of the easiest winter stops on the list when the road is open. Bring binoculars or use your camera’s zoom to see the details from the platform.
15. Bond Falls, Michigan
Bond Falls spreads across a wide ledge of the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River. Instead of a single ice pillar, winter can produce a row of smaller curtains, with dark channels running between them. The boardwalk offers several angles, so you can see how differently the ice forms from one side to the other. The trail and boardwalk are open year-round but aren’t groomed for snow or ice.
16. Big Manitou Falls, Wisconsin
At 165 feet, Wisconsin’s tallest waterfall drops into a deep gorge in Pattison State Park. The best winter view is from above, where you can follow the dark Black River toward the brink and pick out the ice clinging to the rock below. Start with the designated overlooks. If conditions allow, add nearby Little Manitou Falls for a closer look at how ice forms across a shorter, wider cascade.
17. Gooseberry Falls, Minnesota
This North Shore favorite has several drops, and the Upper Falls is the one to plan around in winter. The park maintains the walking route to that cascade, where ice collects in shelves and curtains along the rocky riverbed. Look closely at the edges, where you may see water slipping between layers of ice. The Upper Falls alone is worth the stop on a winter drive along Lake Superior.
18. Moss Glen Falls Near Stowe, Vermont
A short trail outside Stowe leads through the woods to a waterfall that bends and fans down a steep ravine. After sustained cold, the different angles of the cascade show up in layered ice rather than one straight drop. The final approach to the viewing area is steeper than the first part of the walk. This is the Moss Glen Falls near Stowe, so use the Stowe trailhead when planning your route.
19. Cucumber Falls, Pennsylvania
This narrow waterfall in Ohiopyle State Park drops from a projecting ledge. During a hard freeze, that shape can produce a single hanging column with daylight visible beside it. The surrounding rock often collects finer icicles and frost, giving the small ravine more texture than the size of the falls suggests. The walk is short, but the descent can ice over. Take in the view from the upper area if the steps are slick.
20. Paterson Great Falls, New Jersey
The Passaic River plunges through a rocky gorge in the middle of Paterson, with old industrial buildings nearby. During a cold spell, spray coats the rock and structures around the falls while water continues moving through the gorge. Start at Overlook Park for a broad view. The combination of river ice, dark stone, and brick mill buildings gives this waterfall a winter backdrop unlike anywhere else on the list.