Marin County, California

Waterfalls Near Tamalpais Valley, CA

There are 7 named waterfalls within a 30-mile radius of Tamalpais Valley, 5 of them inside 10 miles. The nearest is Kent Falls, 1.8 miles west of town. Alamere Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.8 stars from 414 Google reviews).

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 Tamalpais Valley at a Glance

Photo of Dawn Falls, a waterfall 3.8 miles from Kent Falls
Pictured: nearby Dawn Falls (3.8 mi)
Closest

Kent Falls

1.8 miles west of Tamalpais Valley.

7 Waterfalls Near Tamalpais Valley, Ranked by Distance

  1. Kent Falls

    Tamalpais Valley, CA · Marin County · 1.8 mi west of Tamalpais Valley
    4.0 (4 reviews)

    Kent Falls is the closest named waterfall to Tamalpais Valley, 1.8 miles to the west in Marin County. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near Tamalpais Valley.

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

  2. Dawn Falls

    Kentfield, CA · Marin County · 4.2 mi north of Tamalpais Valley
    3.5 (6 reviews)

    Dawn Falls lies 4.2 miles north of Tamalpais Valley in Marin County, number 2 of 7 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near Tamalpais Valley. Its own nearest town is Kentfield.

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

  3. Cataract Falls

    Bolinas, CA · Marin County · 5.5 mi northwest of Tamalpais Valley
    4.7 (34 reviews)

    Cataract Falls lies 5.5 miles northwest of Tamalpais Valley in Marin County, number 3 of 7 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Tamalpais Valley. 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

  4. Rainbow Falls

    San Francisco, CA · San Francisco County · 8.3 mi southeast of Tamalpais Valley
    4.6 (52 reviews)

    Rainbow Falls lies 8.3 miles southeast of Tamalpais Valley in San Francisco County, number 4 of 7 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Tamalpais Valley. Its own nearest town is San Francisco.

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

  5. Huntington Falls

    San Francisco, CA · San Francisco County · 8.6 mi southeast of Tamalpais Valley
    4.7 (52 reviews)

    Huntington Falls lies 8.6 miles southeast of Tamalpais Valley in San Francisco County, number 5 of 7 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Tamalpais Valley. Its own nearest town is San Francisco.

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

  6. Alamere Falls

    Bolinas, CA · Marin County · 14 mi west of Tamalpais Valley
    4.8 (414 reviews)

    Alamere Falls lies 14 miles west of Tamalpais Valley in Marin County, number 6 of 7 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Tamalpais Valley. 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. Haraszthy Falls

    Sonoma, CA · Sonoma County · 29 mi north of Tamalpais Valley
    1.0 (1 reviews)

    Haraszthy Falls lies 29 miles north of Tamalpais Valley in Sonoma County, number 7 of 7 by distance. It ranks 7th for review count among waterfalls near Tamalpais Valley. Its own nearest town is Sonoma.

    Rating
    1.0 (1 Google reviews)
    Address
    Sonoma County, CA 95476 (GPS 38.2927, -122.4189)
    View details Directions

Where the Waterfalls Are

Tamalpais Valley 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 Tamalpais Valley: 2 to the north, 2 to the southeast, 2 to the west, and 1 to the northwest. They are spread across Marin County (4), San Francisco County (2), and Sonoma County (1). The average distance is 10.2 miles.

By Distance

Within 10 miles of Tamalpais Valley

Kent Falls (1.8 mi), Dawn Falls (4.2 mi), Cataract Falls (5.5 mi), Rainbow Falls (8.3 mi), Huntington Falls (8.6 mi)

10 to 20 miles of Tamalpais Valley

Alamere Falls (14 mi)

20 to 30 miles of Tamalpais Valley

Haraszthy Falls (29 mi)

Nearby Towns With Waterfalls

Waterfalls Near Tamalpais Valley: FAQs

How many waterfalls are near Tamalpais Valley, CA?

7 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Tamalpais Valley: 5 within 10 miles, 1 10 to 20 miles, 1 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.

What is the closest waterfall to Tamalpais Valley?

Kent Falls in Marin County is the closest, about 1.8 miles west of Tamalpais Valley.

What is the best-rated waterfall near Tamalpais Valley?

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 Tamalpais Valley in?

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

How does Tamalpais Valley compare with other California towns?

Tamalpais Valley ranks 31st of the 86 California towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.