Waterfalls for Right Now!

Mount Tam’s Cataract Falls is the bobsled course of waterfalls: over a mile of twisting, turning, tumbling water—gushing, rushing, and making a splash! The real joy is hiking right beside Cataract Creek as it’s chugging on all cylinders, where the exclamations are 20- and 30-foot

Upon first seeing Burney Falls, President Theodore Roosevelt called it one of the wonders of the world: a 129-foot waterfall gushing 100 million gallons every single day. This baby absolutely thunders! Whitewater and mist kick out around its base as water from Burney Creek drops

Over the creek and through the redwoods you’ll go, on this 9-mile (round-trip) partial loop hike in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. This hike is loaded with charms, but the big riches come from viewing Maple Falls, a 30-foot stunner framed by, well, maple trees! Start at G

Bend, Oregon, is more than the mountain town of the moment—it’s become the West’s most adventurous place to be. The summit at Mt. Bachelor is now open for the season, giving you access to terrain at the highest ski spot in the Pacific Northwest. If cross-country is more your spee

Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.

Love your dog? Love waterfalls? Get the best of both on this easygoing hike hidden in Novato. Indian Valley Open Space Preserve is tucked behind the College of Marin campus, and those who discover it are in for a treat.

Despite its devilish hot name, Mount Diablo has a cooler, splashier side. Heavy winter rains create a collection of six scenic waterfalls encircling the mountain's rugged northern canyons. Take the grand tour on this 5-mile loop with a gentle climb up Donner Canyon Road to the ju

Tucked at the end of a sleepy residential street in Larkspur, it's easy to miss the narrow path that drops into Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve, where serene redwoods resemble a condensed Muir Woods—without the crowds! The big winter draw? Dawn Falls, a majestic display of c

Most Tahoe fans know Cascade Falls' silvery drop as it appears in early summer, when melting snow forms a billowy cataract that plummets more than 200 feet into Cascade Lake. But in winter, Cascade Falls gets a makeover. On cold-snap mornings, its frosty plunge appears frozen in

Mount Tam’s Cascade Falls is a bit under the radar, tucked back off a residential area in Mill Valley. Some people drive up to the tiny parking lot nearest to the falls. Do an easy 3-mile (round-trip) hike right from downtown Mill Valley, weaving through quiet streets and secret trails.