Hedge Creek Falls

About Hedge Creek Falls

Hedge Creek Falls is in Dunsmuir, Siskiyou County. The Dunsmuir Chamber of Commerce calls it "A picturesque 35-foot waterfall that cascades over a basalt cliff into a serene pool below." Hedge Creek flows on to the Sacramento River, per Wikipedia.

The Chamber and Discover Siskiyou, a Siskiyou County tourism site, both describe a shallow cave behind the falls. They also note a viewing deck past the falls, with views of the Sacramento River and Mount Shasta.

Who runs it

We found no agency page for the falls. The Mount Shasta Trail Association lists the land agency as the City of Dunsmuir. A 2005 state environmental record names the City of Dunsmuir as lead agency for a Hedge Creek Falls trail project. The city's parks page names two parks it manages, and Hedge Creek is not one of them.

A planned link to Mossbrae Falls

In updates dated July and August 2025, the City of Dunsmuir said it was raising money for a trail from Hedge Creek Falls to Mossbrae Falls. The city said the Hedge Creek trail would grow by 0.6 mile, to one mile long. It had set no start date then. The city did not say whether that is one way or round trip.

The "Million Dollar Waterfall"

Wikipedia says early I-5 plans would have buried the falls. After local objections, the highway was moved farther into the hill at a cost of about $1 million, which gave the falls its nickname.

A Black Bart legend

Wikipedia says the stagecoach robber Black Bart held up a stage near Dunsmuir on Oct 25, 1879. It says evidence suggests he hid in the cave behind the falls first.

About our map pin

Our map pin is the OpenStreetMap point for Hedge Creek Falls (node 1047407241). USGS GNIS lists Hedge Creek as a stream but has no record for the falls.

For other Northern California falls, see Burney Falls and McCloud Falls, or browse all California waterfalls.

Getting there and parking

The Mount Shasta Trail Association says the trailhead is at the I-5 Siskiyou Avenue exit, about a mile north of central Dunsmuir. Discover Siskiyou lists the parking address as 506 Dunsmuir Ave, Dunsmuir, CA 96025.

Fees

We found no fee on the pages we read.

Contact

No agency lists a phone number for the falls. Dunsmuir City Hall, at 530-235-4822, can answer local questions, but we have not confirmed that the city runs the falls.

Map and nearby falls

Hedge Creek Falls trail from the Siskiyou Avenue exit

The Mount Shasta Trail Association lists the trail at "1 mile (round trip)" with 160 feet of gain. It rates it easy, with a narrow, uneven trail in spots.

Other local guides give shorter figures. Discover Siskiyou lists 0.4 mile out and back with 98 feet of gain. The Dunsmuir Chamber says about 0.7 mile round trip.

Behind the falls

A shallow cave behind the falls lets you walk behind the water, per the Chamber and Discover Siskiyou. A deck past the falls looks over the Sacramento River toward Mount Shasta.

Stay off the railroad

The trail association warns that crossing the Sacramento River at the bottom leads to an unauthorized path along the railroad tracks. It says that risks injury and citation.

When to visit

No official source we read names a best month. The Mount Shasta Trail Association says to watch for ice in winter.

Status checks

On Nov 11, 2026, we found no closure notice for the trail, but no agency publishes a status page for it. Dunsmuir City Hall, at 530-235-4822, may know of local closures.

Safety and swimming

Photos

Hedge Creek Falls FAQ

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