California Waterfalls List: 45 Waterfalls I Have Explored in the State

Last updated: Sunday, June 4, 2017 By 2 Comments
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California is home to a countless amount of waterfalls, that can be found literally all over the state. Ranging from 10 feet to 1,000 feet these natural wonders are one of my favorite things to find when traveling around the state. While the below list is by no means a complete list of the state's waterfalls, these are all ones that I have personally seen during my time traveling California. Click on the image of the waterfall to learn more about each one and let me know what your favorite waterfall is that I left off this list in the comments so that I can visit it. Be sure to bookmark this page as it will update as I go find more amazing waterfalls to explore.

Southern California

Black Star Falls

  • Height: 65 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 8 Miles
  • Location: Cleveland National Forest

Big Falls

  • Height: 150 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 1 - 2 Miles
  • Location: San Bernadino National Forest

Bonita Falls

  • Height: 90 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: San Bernardino National Forest

Cedar Creek Falls

  • Height: 90 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles
  • Location: Near Ramona City
  • Photo Credit: LastAdventurer.com

Dana Point Harbor Falls

  • Height: 60 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .25 Miles
  • Location: Dana Point City
  • Seasonal: Only flows during heavy rain

Eaton Canyon Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest

Escondido Falls

  • Height: 150 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles
  • Location: Santa Monica Mountains

Etiwanda Falls

  • Height: 15 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3.5 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest

Fish Canyon Falls

  • Height: 100 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest
  • Tiers: Multiple

Heart Rock Falls

  • Height: 25 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: San Bernardino National Forest

Hermit Falls

  • Height: 45 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2.75 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest

Holy Jim Falls

  • Height: 15 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3 Miles
  • Location: Cleveland National Forest

Millard Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest

Monrovia Canyon Falls

  • Height: 15 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest

Ortega Falls

  • Height: 25 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .5 Miles
  • Location: Cleveland National Forest

Sapphire Falls

  • Height: 15 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest
  • Trail closed

Solstice Canyon Falls

  • Height: 20 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: Santa Monica Mountains

Sturtevant Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest

Tahquitz Canyon Falls

  • Height: 25 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: Agua Caliente Indian Reservation

Tenaja Falls

  • Height: 150 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: Cleveland National Forest
  • Tiers: Multiple

Three Sisters Falls

  • Height: 150 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles
  • Location: Near Julian City
  • Tiers: Multiple

Trail Canyon Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles
  • Location: Angeles National Forest

Central California

Ewoldsen Falls

  • Height: 25 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Miles
  • Location: Big Sur

Limekiln Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .5 Miles
  • Location: Big Sur

McWay Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .5 Miles
  • Location: Big Sur

Pfeiffer Falls

  • Height: 40 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3 Miles
  • Location: Big Sur

Northern California

Berry Creek Falls

  • Height: 75 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 10 Miles 
  • Location: Big Basin State Park

Bridalveil Falls

  • Height: 615 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 1 Mile
  • Location: Yosemite National Park

Eagle Falls

  • Height: 45 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Mile
  • Location: Desolation Wilderness

Glen Alpine Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .25 Mile
  • Location: South Lake Tahoe

Kings Creek Falls

  • Height: 40 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3 Mile
  • Location: Lassen National Park

Lake Clementine Dam

  • Height: 150 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 4 Miles 
  • Location: Auburn City
  • Man-made

McArthur-Burney Falls

  • Height: 130 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .25 to overlook, 1 mile to base
  • Location: MacArthur-Burney Falls State Park

McCloud Falls

  • Height: 20 Feet, 40 Feet, 15 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .5 miles with driving to each stop
  • Location: Near Mt Shasta
  • Tiers: Multiple

Mossbrae Falls

  • Height: 40 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2.5 Mile
  • Location: Near Mt Shasta
  • Trail Closed

Nevada Falls

  • Height: 595 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 6.5 Mile
  • Location: Yosemite National Park

Potem Falls

  • Height: 70 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .5 Mile
  • Location: Near Redding

Rainbow Falls

  • Height: 90 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3 Mile
  • Location: Devils Postpile National Monument

Rancheria Falls

  • Height: 45 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2 Mile
  • Location: Near Huntington Lake

Wapama Falls

  • Height: 1,000 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 2.5 Mile
  • Location: Yosemite National Park (Hetch Hetchy Area)
  • Tiers: Multiple

Waterwheel Falls

  • Height: 200 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 20 Miles (backpacking required)
  • Location: Yosemite National Park

Whiskeytown Falls

  • Height: 200 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3 Miles
  • Location: Whiskeytown National Monument
  • Tiers: Multiple

White Cascade Falls

  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 12 Mile
  • Location: Yosemite National Park

Vernal Falls

  • Height: 200 Feet
  • Hike Distance: 3 Mile
  • Location: Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Falls

  • Height: 2,400 Feet
  • Hike Distance: .25 miles to base, 6 miles to top
  • Location: Yosemite National Park
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  • Bonni Lepic-Rojas

    For your next edition of California waterfalls, maybe you two will have visited the Tule River just up the mountains from Porterville. 🙂 It’s miles and miles of waterfalls, with lots of deep, smooth areas for swimming. Maybe these pictures I took in 2012 will entice you to go someday: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gerr-bon/sets/72157631070063402 Warning, it gets HOT up there in the summer!

    • Dang, this looks like an awesome spot! Thanks for sharing!