El Dorado County, California
Waterfalls Near South Lake Tahoe, CA
South Lake Tahoe has 4 named waterfalls within 30 miles, 2 of them inside 10 miles. Sawyier Falls is the closest at 6.9 miles to the southwest. Bassi Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.8 stars from 180 Google reviews). The list includes falls across the line in Nevada.
Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.
Best Waterfalls Near South Lake Tahoe at a Glance
12 Waterfalls Near South Lake Tahoe, Ranked by Distance
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Sawyier Falls
Sawyier Falls is the closest named waterfall to South Lake Tahoe, 6.9 miles to the southwest in El Dorado County. USGS notes: approx. 250 ft. long; located along Glen Alpine Creek on private land within Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (U.S. Forest Service); Sec 22, T12N, R17E, Mount Diablo Meridian
- Address
- El Dorado County, CA (GPS 38.8774, -120.0911)
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Eagle Falls
Eagle Falls lies 6.9 miles west of South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, number 2 of 12 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near South Lake Tahoe.
- Rating
- 4.5 (13 Google reviews)
- Address
- El Dorado County, CA 96150 (GPS 38.9517, -120.1112)
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Horsetail Falls
Horsetail Falls lies 10 miles southwest of South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, number 3 of 12 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near South Lake Tahoe. Waterfall cascading about 500 feet in stages, amid Desolation Wilderness & near a hiking trail.
- Rating
- 4.8 (115 Google reviews)
- Address
- El Dorado County, CA 95735 (GPS 38.8304, -120.1233)
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Bassi Falls
Bassi Falls lies 19 miles west of South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, number 4 of 12 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near South Lake Tahoe. Its own nearest town is Tahoma.
- Rating
- 4.8 (180 Google reviews)
- Address
- El Dorado County, CA (GPS 38.8926, -120.3303)
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Jumbo Falls
Jumbo Falls lies 32 miles northeast of South Lake Tahoe in Washoe County, number 5 of 12 by distance. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near South Lake Tahoe. Its own nearest town is Virginia City.
- Rating
- 3.7 (6 Google reviews)
- Address
- Washoe County, NV 89521 (GPS 39.3303, -119.6924)
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East Snow Mountain Falls
East Snow Mountain Falls lies 33 miles northwest of South Lake Tahoe in Nevada County, number 6 of 12 by distance. Its own nearest town is Truckee.
- Address
- Nevada County, CA (GPS 39.2415, -120.4477)
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Carson Falls
Carson Falls lies 35 miles southeast of South Lake Tahoe in Alpine County, number 7 of 12 by distance. Its own nearest town is Bridgeport.
- Address
- Alpine County, CA (GPS 38.4890, -119.6825)
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Llewellyn Falls
Llewellyn Falls lies 39 miles southeast of South Lake Tahoe in Alpine County, number 8 of 12 by distance. Its own nearest town is Bridgeport.
- Address
- Alpine County, CA (GPS 38.4602, -119.6049)
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Silver Falls
Silver Falls lies 47 miles southeast of South Lake Tahoe in Mono County, number 9 of 12 by distance. Its own nearest town is Bridgeport.
- Address
- Mono County, CA (GPS 38.3438, -119.5466)
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Sardine Falls
Sardine Falls lies 47 miles southeast of South Lake Tahoe in Mono County, number 10 of 12 by distance. It ranks 7th for review count among waterfalls near South Lake Tahoe. Its own nearest town is Bridgeport.
- Rating
- 5.0 (6 Google reviews)
- Address
- Mono County, CA (GPS 38.3084, -119.6221)
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Leavitt Falls
Leavitt Falls lies 48 miles southeast of South Lake Tahoe in Mono County, number 11 of 12 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near South Lake Tahoe. Its own nearest town is Bridgeport.
- Rating
- 5.0 (9 Google reviews)
- Address
- Mono County, CA 93517 (GPS 38.3193, -119.5629)
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Codfish Falls
Codfish Falls lies 52 miles west of South Lake Tahoe in Placer County, number 12 of 12 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near South Lake Tahoe. Its own nearest town is Meadow Vista.
- Rating
- 4.4 (24 Google reviews)
- Address
- Placer County, CA 95713 (GPS 38.9971, -120.9547)
Where the Waterfalls Are
South Lake Tahoe sits in or near the Yosemite and the Western Sierra area of California. The western slope of the Sierra Nevada holds the densest concentration of named falls in the state. In Yosemite Valley, Bridalveil Fall drops over the south wall, while Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall step down the Merced River's granite staircase above the valley. Tuolumne County covers the park's northern country, including Hetch Hetchy. Farther south, Madera, Fresno and Tulare counties take in the high country around Sequoia and Kings Canyon, with Three Rivers as a gateway town. North of Yosemite, El Dorado County's Bassi Falls flows over broad granite slabs in the Crystal Basin area. Granite here is smooth, polished and very slippery when wet. Read the California waterfall guide.
By direction from South Lake Tahoe: 2 to the southwest and 2 to the west. They are spread across El Dorado County (4). The average distance is 10.7 miles.
By Distance
Within 10 miles of South Lake Tahoe
Sawyier Falls (6.9 mi), Eagle Falls (6.9 mi)
10 to 20 miles of South Lake Tahoe
Horsetail Falls (10 mi), Bassi Falls (19 mi)
Nearby Towns With Waterfalls
Waterfalls Near South Lake Tahoe: FAQs
How many waterfalls are near South Lake Tahoe, CA?
4 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of South Lake Tahoe: 2 within 10 miles, 2 10 to 20 miles, 0 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What is the closest waterfall to South Lake Tahoe?
Sawyier Falls in El Dorado County is the closest, about 6.9 miles southwest of South Lake Tahoe.
What is the best-rated waterfall near South Lake Tahoe?
Bassi Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.8 stars from 180 Google reviews.
Which counties are the waterfalls near South Lake Tahoe in?
El Dorado County (4).
How does South Lake Tahoe compare with other California towns?
South Lake Tahoe ranks 48th of the 86 California towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.