Waterfalls in California

Overview of waterfalls in California

Sierra Nevada snowmelt falls on this site include Yosemite Falls and Vernal Fall. Coastal and Bay Area falls include McWay Falls in Big Sur and Cataract Falls on Mount Tamalpais. Eagle Falls tumbles toward Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Also near Tahoe, the lower Glen Alpine Falls sits next to the road above Fallen Leaf Lake.

Burney Falls is a 129-foot spring-fed falls in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, and Alamere Falls pours off a cliff onto Wildcat Beach at Point Reyes. Feather Falls, in Plumas National Forest northeast of Oroville, has a measured height of 410 feet, per Wikipedia. In Big Sur, Pfeiffer Falls is closed after the 2026 Timber Fire. In Lassen Volcanic National Park, NPS lists a 2.8-mile round trip to Kings Creek Falls.

In Dunsmuir, Hedge Creek Falls drops about 35 feet over a basalt cliff, per the Dunsmuir Chamber of Commerce. The trailhead is at the I-5 Siskiyou Avenue exit, per the Mount Shasta Trail Association. Near Redding, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has Whiskeytown Falls, 220 feet per the NPS, and the easy, paved walk to Crystal Creek Falls.

Southern California's falls on this site run from Los Angeles County to San Diego County. Sturtevant Falls and Switzer Falls are Angeles National Forest hikes, and Bonita Falls is in the San Bernardino National Forest. Escondido Falls in Malibu is about 150 feet tall, and MRCA calls it the highest in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Paradise Falls in Thousand Oaks is open, as far as we can tell (Nov 11, 2026). COSCA had closed all its trails for rain on October 21. Cedar Creek Falls near Ramona needs a permit, and Black Star Canyon Falls is in Orange County. Eaton Canyon Falls above Pasadena is closed until the end of 2027.

Timing matters here. NPS says Yosemite's waterfalls peak in spring, and Yosemite Falls is often a trickle or dry by August. Each page below gives the season, fees and current closures from the managing agency. For how Yosemite Falls ranks nationally, see our guide to the tallest waterfalls in the US.

When waterfalls in California flow

The National Park Service says spring is the best time to see Yosemite's waterfalls, with peak runoff usually in May or June. Yosemite Falls typically flows from about November to July and is often a trickle or dry by August. NPS listed it as dry on October 23, 2026. Vernal Fall runs all year but narrows by late summer.

We found no official flow season for the coastal falls. Burney Falls is spring-fed, and State Parks says it flows all year.

Yosemite: no reservation in 2026, but an entrance fee

Yosemite has no timed entrance reservation system in 2026. The entrance fee is $35 per private vehicle for 7 days, $30 per motorcycle and $20 per person on foot or bike. In 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and older pay an extra $100 per person unless they enter with an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The park manages busy days with real-time traffic and parking control and recommends weekday visits.

Waterfalls in Northern California

Sixteen of the falls on this site are in Northern California and the Sierra Nevada, from Siskiyou and Butte counties to Sequoia, Lake Tahoe, Marin and Big Sur. Statuses below were checked in October and November 2026, with dates given.

Yosemite Valley

• Yosemite Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Oct 27, 2026. The trails are open, but NPS said 'Yosemite Falls is dry' on October 23, 2026. A 1-mile paved loop leads to Lower Yosemite Fall.
• Vernal Fall: partly open. NPS sets the Mist Trail schedule above the footbridge by month. Its October schedule opened the trail above the footbridge Friday to Sunday and holidays, plus Monday to Thursday 3:30pm to 7am when safe. As of November 3, 2026, NPS had posted no November schedule, so check current conditions.

Yosemite Falls and Vernal Fall are both inside Yosemite National Park, so the $35 vehicle entrance fee applies.

Sequoia National Park

• Tokopah Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Nov 3, 2026. NPS lists a 3.4-mile round trip from Lodgepole. It says the falls are inaccessible in winter, once Lodgepole Campground closes.

Siskiyou and Shasta counties and Lake Tahoe

• Hedge Creek Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Nov 11, 2026. The Mount Shasta Trail Association lists a 1-mile round trip, rated easy, from the I-5 Siskiyou Avenue exit in Dunsmuir. No fee is listed on the pages we read. The Dunsmuir Chamber and Discover Siskiyou describe a shallow cave behind the falls. No agency publishes a status page for it.
• McCloud Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Nov 3, 2026. USFS lists three falls on the Upper McCloud River. They are about 3.5 miles round trip from a no-fee picnic area.
• Burney Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Oct 28, 2026. Day use is $10 per vehicle. A 2026 pilot required day-use reservations on Fridays to Sundays and holidays from May 15 to September 27. No reservation is needed from October to December.
• Eagle Falls: seasonal. The Forest Service lot charges $5 per vehicle and is typically open mid-May through mid-October. State Parks charges $10 a day or $3 an hour at the Vikingsholm lot, with special rates possible on peak days.
• Glen Alpine Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Nov 6, 2026. The lower falls are next to the road above Fallen Leaf Lake. Visit Lake Tahoe calls the walk to the upper falls "a one mile, round trip hike." Winter road access is not confirmed, so call 530-543-2600 first.
• Camping: Burney Falls has two campground loops, Rim Camp and Pioneer Camp, per the park's camp map. Sites cost $35 a night, per State Parks (as of Oct 2026).

At Burney, a January 1, 2026 State Parks notice closes the Burney Creek and PSEA trails north of Rainbow Bridge for storm erosion. It doesn't name the Falls Loop Trail. Parking along Highway 89 within a mile of the park is illegal. Past Eagle Falls, a free, self-issued Desolation Wilderness day permit is needed for Eagle Lake from Memorial Day weekend through September 30.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

• Whiskeytown Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Nov 13, 2026. NPS gives it 220 feet in three tiers. The James K. Carr Trail is 3.4 miles round trip, and NPS calls it strenuous and steep.
• Crystal Creek Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Nov 13, 2026. NPS describes a flat, paved, accessible path of about 0.4 mile one way. It calls it the only man-made waterfall in the park.

Both need a Whiskeytown entrance pass, $25 per private vehicle for 7 days, per NPS. An NPS road page from November 2025 says Crystal Creek Road can close for winter weather. See waterfalls near Redding.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

• Kings Creek Falls: seasonal, not reachable by car, as far as we can tell (Nov 11, 2026). NPS lists a 2.8-mile round trip, rated moderate, with sun exposure and steep sections. On Oct 30, 2026, NPS closed the park highway to through travel for ice and fallen rock. On Nov 11 it listed the trail as "Unknown status." Pets are not allowed on park trails.

Plumas National Forest

• Feather Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Nov 7, 2026. The Forest Service lists an upper trail of 4.5 miles and a lower trail of 3.5 miles to the overlook. It allows 4 to 6 hours for the loop. Wikipedia gives a measured height of 410 feet. The trailhead campground is closed indefinitely after damage from the 2020 North Complex Fire.

Marin and the Bay Area

• Alamere Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Oct 28, 2026. Point Reyes National Seashore charges no entrance or parking fee. The official route from Palomarin Trailhead is 13.2 miles round trip. NPS strongly advises against the unofficial bluff shortcut and says to walk Wildcat Beach only at low tide.
• Cataract Falls: open, as far as we can tell (October 2026). Marin Water lists hours of 7am to sunset daily. It is on Marin Water land, where a vehicle fee applies only at the Sky Oaks entrance.

Big Sur

• McWay Falls: partly open. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park charges $10 per vehicle. State Parks lists the McWay Falls Overlook Trail as closed for a retaining-wall project, with no reopening date as of October 27, 2026.
• Pfeiffer Falls: closed. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopened October 16, 2026 after the Timber Fire. State Parks says the Pfeiffer Falls and Valley View trails stay closed until further notice, and entering a closed trail can bring a citation.

Northern California road closures (as of Oct 2026)

Big Sur's Highway 1 reopened through Regent's Slide on January 14, 2026, then closed again for the Timber and Plaskett fires. It fully reopened through Big Sur on September 14, 2026, the SF Chronicle reported.

Highway 89 around Emerald Bay can close during winter storms. Winter access on Fallen Leaf Road to Glen Alpine Falls is not confirmed. In Yosemite, El Capitan Bridge work causes weekday delays through December 2026. In Lassen Volcanic National Park, NPS closed the park road (also Hwy 89) to through travel on Oct 30, 2026. Cars can reach Sulphur Works, 1 mile from the southwest entrance. Check Caltrans QuickMap and each park's current conditions page before you drive.

Waterfalls in Southern California

Seven of the falls on this site are in Southern California, from Los Angeles County to San Diego County. Most Forest Service trailheads here need an Adventure Pass to park.

Adventure Pass: the Forest Service lists $5 a day or $30 a year. It covers posted fee sites on the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino national forests. America the Beautiful passes are accepted wherever it's required.

Waterfalls near Los Angeles

• Sturtevant Falls, Arcadia: the Forest Service's Chantry Flat page requires an Adventure Pass or America the Beautiful pass to park.
• Switzer Falls, La Cañada Flintridge: the Forest Service's Switzer Picnic Site page requires the same passes to park.
• Escondido Falls, Malibu: parking at the Winding Way lot is $12, per MRCA. The upper falls are off-limits.
• Eaton Canyon Falls, above Pasadena: closed until December 31, 2027, per LA County.

Ventura, San Bernardino and San Diego counties

• Paradise Falls, Thousand Oaks: open, as far as we can tell (Nov 11, 2026), after a rain closure that began October 21. COSCA's pages we read list no parking fee. The Conejo Open Space Foundation, a nonprofit partner, calls the parking free.
• Bonita Falls, Lytle Creek: in the San Bernardino National Forest. The Forest Service's Adventure Pass ($5 a day) applies at posted fee sites there. Wikipedia says parking along Lytle Creek Road needs one.
• Cedar Creek Falls, near Ramona: a permit is required year-round and must be booked on Recreation.gov. Recreation.gov lists $6 per permit for the holder and up to 4 others, while a Forest Service page lists $10. No permits are sold at the trailhead.

OC Parks says parking is free in Irvine Ranch Open Space near Black Star Canyon.

Southern California closures and conditions (checked Oct and Nov 2026)

Eaton Canyon Falls is closed. Paradise Falls is open, as far as we can tell (Nov 11, 2026), after an October rain closure. The other Southern California falls on this site were open as of October 28, 2026, some with cautions or permits.

• Eaton Canyon Falls: closed. LA County says the Eaton Canyon Natural Area and its trails, including the waterfall, stay closed until December 31, 2027.
• Sturtevant and Switzer Falls: open, as far as we can tell, as of Oct 28, 2026. Their Forest Service site pages (Chantry Flat and Switzer Picnic Site) showed Site Open in 2026. Neither is named in the 2026-2027 Eaton Fire closure order or on LA County's closure list. The Forest Service says the Chantry Flat road can close to vehicles at any time.
• Cedar Creek Falls: open with a permit, as far as we can tell (Oct 28, 2026). The Forest Service closed the area March 16-20, August 4-31 and October 2-8, 2026; the October closure was for extreme heat.
• Bonita Falls: open, as far as we can tell (Oct 28, 2026), with a rockfall warning. A Forest Service safety alert about falling rocks runs from July 24 to December 31, 2026; it is a caution, not a closure. It followed the June death of a hiker struck by a falling rock near the falls. Call the Front Country Ranger District at 909-382-2851 before you go.
• Escondido Falls: open, as far as we can tell (Oct 28, 2026). MRCA closes its parks during Red Flag Warnings, and its October 2026 closure ran October 15-17. The upper falls are off-limits.
• Paradise Falls: open, as far as we can tell (Nov 11, 2026). COSCA closed all its trails and open spaces for rain on October 21, 2026. On November 11, its trail-closures page said "No current weather-related closures" and listed no closure for Wildwood Park. Check that page after any storm.
• Black Star Canyon Falls: open as far as official sources show (checked October 28, 2026). Black Star Canyon Falls is not one of the 21 falls in this guide. OC Parks says Black Star Canyon Road is always open for public access to Cleveland National Forest. The 2026 Airport Fire closure covers the Santiago Peak and Trabuco area to the south, outside the canyon, per the Order 02-26-09 map.

California waterfall hikes by length

Most of these waterfall walks are 4 miles round trip or less, but Upper Yosemite Fall and Alamere Falls are full-day hikes. Distances are round trip, with statuses checked Oct and Nov 2026.

State Parks gives no official length for the Burney Falls Loop. The Forest Service lists Feather Falls' upper trail at 4.5 miles and lower trail at 3.5 miles, without saying round trip. Eaton Canyon Falls is closed until the end of 2027. Cedar Creek's return climbs more than 2 miles at an average 8% grade, per Recreation.gov.

Waterfalls you can see without a long hike

The lower Glen Alpine Falls sits next to the road, and Lower Yosemite Fall, Burney Falls and Crystal Creek Falls have paved or accessible routes. Upper Eagle Falls, McWay Falls and Hedge Creek Falls are short walks, but McWay's trail is closed.

• Lower Glen Alpine Falls: Visit Lake Tahoe says there is "virtually no hike to get there." It warns that roadside parking is limited, with no designated spots.
• Lower Yosemite Fall: a 1-mile paved loop that NPS says takes about 30 minutes. The eastern half is wheelchair accessible when free of ice and snow.
• Burney Falls: State Parks lists accessible parking and restrooms at the Falls Overlook, and the Headwaters Trail is accessible. The Falls Loop down to the pool is not listed as accessible.
• Upper Eagle Falls: about 0.5 mile round trip, per Visit Lake Tahoe. The Forest Service lot is seasonal.
• McWay Falls: the Overlook Trail is 0.5 mile round trip, but State Parks lists it as closed for a retaining-wall project, with no reopening date.
• Hedge Creek Falls: the Mount Shasta Trail Association lists 1 mile round trip, rated easy, but narrow and uneven in spots. We found no official accessibility information.
• Crystal Creek Falls: NPS describes a paved, wide, accessible path of about 0.4 mile one way to the viewpoint. A steep dirt path continues to the base.

California waterfalls FAQ