Waterfalls · California
Best waterfalls in California
Mapped16 falls
Easy access8 roadside / short walk
TallestYosemite Falls
Max drop2,425 ft
California swings from the tallest waterfall in North America — Yosemite Falls, which roars in May and vanishes by August — to a Big Sur tidefall and hidden cascades in the San Gabriels above L.A. Timing is everything here: the Sierra giants are a spring-snowmelt show, while the coast and southern canyons peak after winter rain.
Yosemite Falls2,425 ftthe tallest waterfall in North America; roars in spring, dries by late summer.
Horsetail Fall (Firefall)1,000 ftglows like lava at sunset for a few February evenings — the famous "firefall".
Bridalveil Fall620 ftthe first great fall you see entering Yosemite Valley.
Nevada Fall594 fta powerful Mist Trail fall on the way to Half Dome.
Big Falls500 ftthe tallest year-round fall in Southern California, near Big Bear.
Feather Falls410 ftone of California’s tallest, in the northern Sierra foothills.
Vernal Fall317 ftclimb the Mist Trail’s granite steps right alongside the falls.
Whiskeytown Falls220 fta "lost" fall rediscovered in 2004 in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
Burney Falls129 ftspring-fed and constant, called the "Eighth Wonder" by Teddy Roosevelt.
Rainbow Falls (Devils Postpile)101 fta high-Sierra fall that throws rainbows over the San Joaquin.
McWay Falls80 fta rare tidefall dropping onto a turquoise Big Sur cove.
Mossbrae Falls50 ftspring water pours from a mossy wall along the Sacramento River.
Sturtevant Falls50 fta shaded canyon fall in the San Gabriels above Los Angeles.
Alamere Falls40 fta rare tidefall dropping straight onto a Point Reyes beach.
Eaton Canyon Falls40 ftan easy, popular canyon walk to a fall minutes from Los Angeles.
Hedge Creek Falls30 fta fall you can walk behind near Mount Shasta.Pair it with
Flows change with the season and recent rain — many falls roar at spring snowmelt and slow by late summer. Check conditions and any permit or reservation rules before you go.