Yosemite and the Western Sierra
67 waterfalls · Mariposa County, Tuolumne County, Madera County, Fresno County, Tulare County, El Dorado County, Placer County, and Sierra County
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.
Start with: Bridalveil Fall, Vernal Fall, Rainbow Falls, Bassi Falls, Yosemite Falls
Eastern Sierra and Owens Valley
14 waterfalls · Mono County, Inyo County, and Alpine County
The Sierra's eastern escarpment rises abruptly from the Great Basin, and its creeks fall steeply toward Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes and Big Pine. Snowmelt feeds most of these falls, so they run hardest in early summer and shrink in autumn. Bridgeport and the June Lake and Mammoth areas are the main bases for exploring them. In Inyo County, Fossil Falls is an unusual dry fall: a polished basalt chute carved by an ancient river that no longer flows there, set in desert volcanic terrain south of the Owens Valley.
Start with: Fossil Falls, Darwin Falls, Leavitt Falls, Sardine Falls, Cascade Falls
Shasta Cascade and the Klamath Mountains
44 waterfalls · Shasta County, Siskiyou County, Tehama County, Trinity County, Plumas County, Butte County, Lassen County, Modoc County, Del Norte County, and Humboldt County
Northern California's volcanic and mountain country accounts for more than 40 of the state's named falls. Burney Falls, the most reviewed waterfall in California in our directory, pours from spring outlets in porous lava as well as from its creek, giving it a steady flow even in late summer. Mossbrae Falls near Dunsmuir similarly emerges from springs beside the upper Sacramento River. Around McCloud, a series of falls on the McCloud River lies close to the road. West of Interstate 5, the Klamath and Trinity mountains near Happy Camp hold more remote falls on wild river tributaries, many reached only by forest roads.
Start with: Burney Falls, Mossbrae Falls, Crystal Creek Falls, Faery Falls, Potem Falls
Coast Ranges and Southern California Mountains
52 waterfalls · San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Santa Cruz County, Riverside County, Marin County, Monterey County, Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, Imperial County, and San Luis Obispo County
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.
Start with: McWay Falls, Bonita Falls, Alamere Falls, Tahquitz Falls, Sturtevant Falls
