Uvas Canyon County Park, a formerly obscure South Bay hiking retreat, is now so popular for its Instagram-friendly waterfalls that it now requires reservations on weekend. The winter rains have revitalized the Bay Area's rivers, and turned native waterfalls into spectacular cascades.
Waterfall season has proved rather dry in most recent years, due to the drought, but this winter has replenished the landscape. Here are a few picturesque destinations for hikers outside of Uvas Canyon (busy as it's bound to be again this weekend), from the humble to the mighty, from the famous to the obscure.
This 30-foot-tall cliff overlooks Wildcat Beach near Pt. Reyes. One of only two California falls that feed right into the Pacific, it's one of the North Bay's most ideal outdoor destinations—and also one of its most remote, requiring a 13-mile hike to reach.
A series of small waterfalls on Pine Mountain, these are not as impressive as some of the peaks and summits listed here. But they're a relatively easy hike, and they are as photogenic as some of their bigger cousins elsewhere.
McWay Falls, south of Big Sur, is the state's other ocean-feeding waterfall. Few things are as emblematic of the pristine natural beauty of the California coast than this 80-foot spill down to the beach. Nineteenth century homesteader Christopher McWay named the creek after himself.
Long one of Mt. Tam's most visited destinations. As the popular hiking site Bay Area Hiker puts it: "Judging the series of falls on the north slope of Mount Tam is like critiquing the high school beauty queen who is headed for Harvard and volunteers in her spare time—it's hard to say one harsh word." Hiking time to falls estimated around two hours each way.
Obscure waterfalls somewhere in Unknown Coast of Pt. Reyes are half mythical, but truly ardent hikers swear that Ribbon Falls (not to be confused with the Yosemite waterfall) and its brothers really do exist somewhere between McClure Beach and Kehoe Beach. Consult a tide chart before searching for them, as some obscure beaches may become isolated unexpectedly.
While the big Yosemite Falls are flowing most of the year, Sentinel Falls (a 2,000 foot peak) appears only for a few months in the spring, usually starting just around the corner in March.
The Peters Creek trail passes some of the oldest old growth Redwoods in California, but finding the waterfall is a bit more obscure. "You won’t find it on any maps, and the offshoot from the main trail is unmarked," the Bold Italic warns. Hiking time takes 20 minutes each way.
Despite its name and the seasonal heat that earned it that moniker in the first place, hikers contend that there really are refreshing waterfalls on the slopes of Mt. Diablo, although the waterfall loop crosses a few other paths and can be tricky to navigate.
This ferny 60-foot drop is part of the famed Waterfall Loop hike in Big Basin Redwoods State Park. This is one of two Berry Breeks in Northern California, one confined to Big Basin, the other near Lake Oroville.
This 30-foot-tall cliff overlooks Wildcat Beach near Pt. Reyes. One of only two California falls that feed right into the Pacific, it's one of the North Bay's most ideal outdoor destinations—and also one of its most remote, requiring a 13-mile hike to reach.
A series of small waterfalls on Pine Mountain, these are not as impressive as some of the peaks and summits listed here. But they're a relatively easy hike, and they are as photogenic as some of their bigger cousins elsewhere.
McWay Falls, south of Big Sur, is the state's other ocean-feeding waterfall. Few things are as emblematic of the pristine natural beauty of the California coast than this 80-foot spill down to the beach. Nineteenth century homesteader Christopher McWay named the creek after himself.
Long one of Mt. Tam's most visited destinations. As the popular hiking site Bay Area Hiker puts it: "Judging the series of falls on the north slope of Mount Tam is like critiquing the high school beauty queen who is headed for Harvard and volunteers in her spare time—it's hard to say one harsh word." Hiking time to falls estimated around two hours each way.
Obscure waterfalls somewhere in Unknown Coast of Pt. Reyes are half mythical, but truly ardent hikers swear that Ribbon Falls (not to be confused with the Yosemite waterfall) and its brothers really do exist somewhere between McClure Beach and Kehoe Beach. Consult a tide chart before searching for them, as some obscure beaches may become isolated unexpectedly.
While the big Yosemite Falls are flowing most of the year, Sentinel Falls (a 2,000 foot peak) appears only for a few months in the spring, usually starting just around the corner in March.
The Peters Creek trail passes some of the oldest old growth Redwoods in California, but finding the waterfall is a bit more obscure. "You won’t find it on any maps, and the offshoot from the main trail is unmarked," the Bold Italic warns. Hiking time takes 20 minutes each way.
Despite its name and the seasonal heat that earned it that moniker in the first place, hikers contend that there really are refreshing waterfalls on the slopes of Mt. Diablo, although the waterfall loop crosses a few other paths and can be tricky to navigate.
This ferny 60-foot drop is part of the famed Waterfall Loop hike in Big Basin Redwoods State Park. This is one of two Berry Breeks in Northern California, one confined to Big Basin, the other near Lake Oroville.
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