Placer County, California

Waterfalls Near Tahoma, CA

Tahoma has 6 named waterfalls within 30 miles, 1 of them inside 10 miles. The nearest is Eagle Falls, 8.0 miles south of town. Bassi Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.8 stars from 180 Google reviews). Most of the falls are south of Tahoma. The list includes falls across the line in Nevada.

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

Photo of Bassi Falls in El Dorado County, California
Pictured: Bassi Falls, CA

Best Waterfalls Near Tahoma at a Glance

Photo of Bassi Falls near Tahoma, CA
Highest rated

Bassi Falls

4.8 stars from 180 Google reviews.

Photo of Horsetail Falls, a waterfall 3.7 miles from Sawyier Falls
Pictured: nearby Horsetail Falls (3.7 mi)
With recorded history

Sawyier Falls

Has a USGS description or naming history.

6 Waterfalls Near Tahoma, Ranked by Distance

  1. Eagle Falls

    South Lake Tahoe, CA · El Dorado County · 8.0 mi south of Tahoma
    4.5 (13 reviews)

    Eagle Falls is the closest named waterfall to Tahoma, 8.0 miles to the south in El Dorado County. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Tahoma. Its own nearest town is South Lake Tahoe.

    Rating
    4.5 (13 Google reviews)
    Address
    El Dorado County, CA 96150 (GPS 38.9517, -120.1112)
    View details Directions

  2. Sawyier Falls

    South Lake Tahoe, CA · El Dorado County · 13 mi south of Tahoma

    Sawyier Falls lies 13 miles south of Tahoma in El Dorado County, number 2 of 6 by distance. 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)
    View details Directions

  3. Bassi Falls

    Tahoma, CA · El Dorado County · 16 mi southwest of Tahoma
    4.8 (180 reviews)

    Bassi Falls lies 16 miles southwest of Tahoma in El Dorado County, number 3 of 6 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Tahoma.

    Rating
    4.8 (180 Google reviews)
    Address
    El Dorado County, CA (GPS 38.8926, -120.3303)
    View details Directions

  4. Horsetail Falls

    South Lake Tahoe, CA · El Dorado County · 16 mi south of Tahoma
    4.8 (115 reviews)

    Horsetail Falls lies 16 miles south of Tahoma in El Dorado County, number 4 of 6 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Tahoma. 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)
    View details Directions

  5. East Snow Mountain Falls

    Truckee, CA · Nevada County · 21 mi northwest of Tahoma

    East Snow Mountain Falls lies 21 miles northwest of Tahoma in Nevada County, number 5 of 6 by distance. Its own nearest town is Truckee.

    Address
    Nevada County, CA (GPS 39.2415, -120.4477)
    View details Directions

  6. Jumbo Falls

    Virginia City, NV · Washoe County · 30 mi northeast of Tahoma
    3.7 (6 reviews)

    Jumbo Falls lies 30 miles northeast of Tahoma in Washoe County, number 6 of 6 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Tahoma. Its own nearest town is Virginia City.

    Rating
    3.7 (6 Google reviews)
    Address
    Washoe County, NV 89521 (GPS 39.3303, -119.6924)
    View details Directions

Where the Waterfalls Are

Tahoma 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 Tahoma: 3 to the south, 1 to the northeast, 1 to the southwest, and 1 to the northwest. They are spread across El Dorado County (4), Nevada County (1), and Washoe County (1). The average distance is 17.4 miles.

By Distance

Within 10 miles of Tahoma

Eagle Falls (8.0 mi)

10 to 20 miles of Tahoma

Sawyier Falls (13 mi), Bassi Falls (16 mi), Horsetail Falls (16 mi)

20 to 30 miles of Tahoma

East Snow Mountain Falls (21 mi), Jumbo Falls (30 mi)

Nearby Towns With Waterfalls

Waterfalls Near Tahoma: FAQs

How many waterfalls are near Tahoma, CA?

6 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Tahoma: 1 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 Tahoma?

Eagle Falls in El Dorado County is the closest, about 8.0 miles south of Tahoma.

What is the best-rated waterfall near Tahoma?

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 Tahoma in?

El Dorado County (4), Nevada County (1), and Washoe County (1).

How does Tahoma compare with other California towns?

Tahoma ranks 40th of the 86 California towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.