San Francisco County, California

Waterfalls Near San Francisco, CA

There are 7 named waterfalls within a 30-mile radius of San Francisco, 2 of them inside 10 miles. Huntington Falls is the closest at 3.0 miles to the west. Alamere Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.8 stars from 414 Google reviews). Most of the falls are northwest of San Francisco.

Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.

Photo of Alamere Falls in Marin County, California
Pictured: Alamere Falls, CA

Best Waterfalls Near San Francisco at a Glance

7 Waterfalls Near San Francisco, Ranked by Distance

  1. Huntington Falls

    San Francisco, CA · San Francisco County · 3.0 mi west of San Francisco
    4.7 (52 reviews)

    Huntington Falls is the closest named waterfall to San Francisco, 3.0 miles to the west in San Francisco County. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near San Francisco.

    Rating
    4.7 (52 Google reviews)
    Address
    San Francisco, CA 94118
    View details Directions

  2. Rainbow Falls

    San Francisco, CA · San Francisco County · 3.2 mi west of San Francisco
    4.6 (52 reviews)

    Rainbow Falls lies 3.2 miles west of San Francisco in San Francisco County, number 2 of 7 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near San Francisco.

    Rating
    4.6 (52 Google reviews)
    Address
    San Francisco, CA 94118
    View details Directions

  3. Kent Falls

    Tamalpais Valley, CA · Marin County · 12 mi northwest of San Francisco
    4.0 (4 reviews)

    Kent Falls lies 12 miles northwest of San Francisco in Marin County, number 3 of 7 by distance. It ranks 7th for review count among waterfalls near San Francisco. Its own nearest town is Tamalpais Valley.

    Rating
    4.0 (4 Google reviews)
    Address
    Marin County, CA 94941 (GPS 37.8846, -122.5783)
    View details Directions

  4. Dawn Falls

    Kentfield, CA · Marin County · 14 mi northwest of San Francisco
    3.5 (6 reviews)

    Dawn Falls lies 14 miles northwest of San Francisco in Marin County, number 4 of 7 by distance. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near San Francisco. Its own nearest town is Kentfield.

    Rating
    3.5 (6 Google reviews)
    Address
    Kentfield, CA 94904
    View details Directions

  5. Cataract Falls

    Bolinas, CA · Marin County · 15 mi northwest of San Francisco
    4.7 (34 reviews)

    Cataract Falls lies 15 miles northwest of San Francisco in Marin County, number 5 of 7 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near San Francisco. Its own nearest town is Bolinas.

    Rating
    4.7 (34 Google reviews)
    Address
    Marin County, CA 94970 (GPS 37.9244, -122.6294)
    View details Directions

  6. Alamere Falls

    Bolinas, CA · Marin County · 23 mi northwest of San Francisco
    4.8 (414 reviews)

    Alamere Falls lies 23 miles northwest of San Francisco in Marin County, number 6 of 7 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near San Francisco. Day hikes to a scenic, remote spot where water cascades down a 30 ft. cliff onto a rugged beach.

    Rating
    4.8 (414 Google reviews)
    Address
    Marin County, CA 94924 (GPS 37.9542, -122.7834)
    View details Directions

  7. Tehan Falls

    Dublin, CA · Alameda County · 27 mi east of San Francisco
    3.4 (32 reviews)

    Tehan Falls lies 27 miles east of San Francisco in Alameda County, number 7 of 7 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near San Francisco. Its own nearest town is Dublin.

    Rating
    3.4 (32 Google reviews)
    Address
    Alameda County, CA 94588 (GPS 37.6733, -121.9400)
    Known for
    pretty view, trees, security cameras, hiking, private property
    View details Directions

Where the Waterfalls Are

San Francisco sits in or near the Coast Ranges and Southern California Mountains area of California. Along the coast and in the southern mountains, falls are smaller and highly seasonal. McWay Falls in Big Sur drops onto a cove beach and is viewed from an overlook, while Alamere Falls in Point Reyes spills off a coastal bluff onto the sand. The Santa Cruz Mountains around Boulder Creek hold redwood-shaded cascades. In Southern California, Sturtevant Falls in the San Gabriel Mountains and Bonita Falls in Lytle Creek are local favorites, and Tahquitz Falls lies in a canyon above Palm Springs. Most of these creeks depend on winter storms, and many dwindle to a trickle by early summer. Read the California waterfall guide.

By direction from San Francisco: 4 to the northwest, 2 to the west, and 1 to the east. They are spread across Marin County (4), San Francisco County (2), and Alameda County (1). The average distance is 13.9 miles.

By Distance

Within 10 miles of San Francisco

Huntington Falls (3.0 mi), Rainbow Falls (3.2 mi)

10 to 20 miles of San Francisco

Kent Falls (12 mi), Dawn Falls (14 mi), Cataract Falls (15 mi)

20 to 30 miles of San Francisco

Alamere Falls (23 mi), Tehan Falls (27 mi)

Nearby Towns With Waterfalls

Waterfalls Near San Francisco: FAQs

How many waterfalls are near San Francisco, CA?

7 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of San Francisco: 2 within 10 miles, 3 10 to 20 miles, 2 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.

What is the closest waterfall to San Francisco?

Huntington Falls in San Francisco County is the closest, about 3.0 miles west of San Francisco.

What is the best-rated waterfall near San Francisco?

Alamere Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.8 stars from 414 Google reviews.

Which counties are the waterfalls near San Francisco in?

Marin County (4), San Francisco County (2), and Alameda County (1).

How does San Francisco compare with other California towns?

San Francisco ranks 25th of the 86 California towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.