Rock Falls

If you're passing

Is it plungeworthy?

—feet tall

A 2-tier tiered.

Scale12/60

Documentation10/20

Character20/20

The details

Tiers: 2 drops
Type: Tiered
Coordinates: 31.81071, -91.76031

Get directions →

About Rock Falls

Rock Falls is a tiered in Louisiana. The water falls in 2 distinct tiers.

It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.

Plungeworthy rates Rock Falls 4.2/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Louisiana's tallest waterfall — a 17-foot drop over a rock face in the Sicily Island Hills (sources range 13 to 20 feet; 17 is the state wildlife department's own figure). Formerly called Sicily Island Falls. A footbridge crosses the stream above the drop, and a red-blazed trail descends the gorge to the base.

This is the closest thing Louisiana has to a hero waterfall: real relief, a real gorge, and a real hike — 200-plus feet of ridge-to-creek terrain in a state famous for having none.

Getting there

Trailhead: J.C. “Sonny” Gilbert WMA, south entrance: from Sicily Island, take LA-8 west about 7 miles to a gravel road marked with a brown WMA sign, bear left at the fork, and follow about 3 miles to the pavilion trailhead
Parking: Trailhead pavilion lot
Road: Gravel WMA road
Hike: 1.5 mi round trip (Short but steep — a red-blazed descent into the gorge, then a moderate climb down to the base)
Heads up: Stop at the self-clearing permit station about a mile in — mandatory for all WMA activity.

When to go

After rain — these are seasonal-flow falls and can drop to a trickle in dry stretches.

March and April are the most reliable months.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Free, but LDWF requires a self-clearing permit for all WMA activity, and a Wild Louisiana Stamp if you don't hold a Louisiana hunting or fishing license
Dogs: Leashed
Camping: Two primitive camping areas on the WMA
Warnings: Steep, loose descent with slick rock, water pockets over 3 feet deep, and sudden drop-offs — not a place for small children. The WMA restricts access during hunting seasons; check current closures with LDWF.

Researched from Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries — J.C. “Sonny” Gilbert WMA · Waterfall Hero — Rock Falls (Sicily Island) · World Waterfall Database — Rock Falls · Sicily Island Hills — Waterfalls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Rock Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Planning a visit? We want your photo.

Rock Falls doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.