Waterfalls around Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes National Seashore
Unnamed creek about 2/3 mile northwest of Agate Beach (Bolinas)

• Waterfall south of Bolinas Point at (37.90197, -122.72048):
  taken 2009-03-06:
  
  Beauty: 3
  Beauty: 6 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 14 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 10 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 8 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: Reachable at most low tides via Agate Beach County Park.
  id: reyes.1
Unnamed creek just north of Bolinas Point

• Waterfall just north of Bolinas Point at (37.90445, -122.72716):
  taken 2009-03-06:
  taken 2011-01-30:
  taken 2012-04-13:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 7
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 20 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 43 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 3 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: Park at 451 Mesa Road, follow a poorly marked trail down to RCA beach, and go south on the beach about 1 mile. Or follow a dirt road south from that parking lot to the Bolinas Point (no beach access). Also reachable at most low tides via the Palomarin trailhead, and from Agate Beach County Park at minus tides.
  id: reyes.2
Unnamed creek RCA Beach

• Waterfall at RCA Beach at (37.91636, -122.73085):
  taken 2011-01-30:
  taken 2012-04-13:
  
  Video:
  
  There's a large (10+ feet) squarish concrete block partly visible (from a different angle than this picture) just around the corner upstream from the top
  Beauty: 2
  Beauty: 5 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 30 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 16 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 10 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 2 feet
  Number of drops 2
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: Park at 451 Mesa Road, follow a poorly marked trail down to RCA beach, which passes by the top of the waterfall. Also reachable at most low tides via the Palomarin trailhead
  id: reyes.16
Unnamed creek half mile southeast of Arroyo Honda

• waterfall at (37.92012, -122.73275):
  taken 2011-01-30:
  
  Beauty: 7
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 30 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 28 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 25 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 5 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: Park at 451 Mesa Road, follow a poorly marked trail down to RCA beach, and go north on the beach less than half a mile. Also reachable at most low tides via the Palomarin trailhead
  id: reyes.17
Arroyo Honda

• waterfall at (37.92580, -122.73668):
  taken 2011-01-30:
  
  I think I recall walking upstream many years ago and finding a waterfall that couldn't be seen from the beach.
  Beauty: 6
  Beauty: 7 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 365 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 26 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 4 feet
  Number of drops 5
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From the Palomarin trailhead, start toward Bass Lake, turn left in the Eucalyptus grove. After winding downhill a half mile to the beach, turn left and walk at least half a mile. The beach is mostly sandy at low tide. It can probably be done near a high tide, but I recommend waiting for the tide to go out a bit.
  id: reyes.18
Unnamed creek ending at Palomarin Beach just northwest of the trail

• Waterfall just west of the trail coming down to the beach from the Palomarin trailhead at (37.93085, -122.74676):
  taken 2010-03-25:
  taken 2011-01-30:
  taken 2012-04-13:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 5
  Beauty: 6 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 60 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 11 feet
  Terrain: beach
  id: reyes.3
Unnamed creek between Palomarin Beach and Abalone Point

• a half mile northwest of the Palomarin trailhead at (37.93552, -122.75564):
  taken 2012-04-13:
  taken 2010-03-25:
  taken 2011-01-30:
  
  Videos:
  
  Nearly vertical except for the top 15+ feet and a ledge 1/3 of the way from the bottom
  Beauty: 8
  Duration: 14 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 109 feet give or take 5 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 20 feet
  Number of drops 5
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From the Palomarin trailhead, start toward Bass Lake, turn left in the Eucalyptus grove. After winding downhill a half mile to the beach, turn right and walk about a half mile. The beach will be mostly small rocks which will slow you down. It can probably be done at high tide, but I recommend waiting for the tide to go out a bit.
  id: reyes.4
Unnamed creek between Palomarin Beach and Abalone Point

• waterfall at (37.93629, -122.76030):
  taken 2010-03-25:
  
  Beauty: 6
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 0.5 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 50 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 45 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From the Palomarin trailhead, start toward Bass Lake, turn left in the Eucalyptus grove. After winding downhill a half mile to the beach, turn right and walk about 0.6 mile. The beach will be mostly small rocks which will slow you down. It can probably be done at high tide, but I recommend waiting for the tide to go out a bit.
  id: reyes.5
Unnamed creek 0.2 miles east of Abalone Point, emerging from cliff below where the Coast Trail turns inland

• waterfall at (37.93666, -122.76143):
  taken 2012-04-13:
  taken 2010-03-25:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 7
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 60 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 18 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 10 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From the Palomarin trailhead, start toward Bass Lake, turn left in the Eucalyptus grove. After winding downhill a half mile to the beach, turn right and walk about 0.8 mile. The beach will be mostly small rocks which will slow you down. It can probably be done at high tide, but I recommend waiting for the tide to go out a bit.
  id: reyes.6
Unnamed creek coming out of Bass Lake

• waterfall at (37.94153, -122.76805):
  taken 2010-03-25:
  taken 2012-04-13:
  
  on the right:
  
  Videos:
  
  I'm unsure whether I can see the top. From many angles, only the bottom (70 feet?) can be seen.
  Beauty: 9
  Duration: 90 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 185 feet give or take 5 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 30 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: The next set of waterfalls can be reached at a minus tide from Palomarin Beach. It's also possible to get the by starting down a faint trail at the intersection of the Coast Trail and the Crystal Lake trail. Near the end of the trail, do some bushwhacking off to the left (expect to touch poison oak), head down a steep and somewhat difficult hill that descends to the southeast point of Double Point, then head for the beach on the left.
  Last visited 2012-04-13
  id: reyes.7
Unnamed creek a bit north of the stream coming out of Bass Lake

• A trickle that would be a 25+ foot waterfall after heavy rain at (37.94209, -122.76884):
  taken 2010-03-25:
  
  Beauty: 3
  Beauty: 6 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 2 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 25 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Last visited 2010-03-25
  id: reyes.9
Unnamed creek coming from between Bass Lake and Pelican Lake

• waterfall at (37.94329, -122.76994):
  taken 2012-04-13:
  taken 2010-03-25:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 7
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 60 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 40 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 22 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Last visited 2012-04-13
  id: reyes.10
Unnamed creek coming from between Bass Lake and Pelican Lake

• waterfall at (37.94385, -122.77084):
  taken 2010-03-25:
  
  Beauty: 4
  Beauty: 6 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 1 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 20 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Last visited 2010-03-25
  id: reyes.11
Unnamed creek just north of the stream coming out of Bass Lake

• waterfall taken 2010-03-25:
  
  on the left:
  taken 2012-04-13:
  
  on the left:
  
  Beauty: 6
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 60 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 66 feet give or take 4 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Last visited 2012-04-13
  id: reyes.8
Unnamed creek just west of the previous one

• waterfall taken 2010-03-25:
  
  Beauty: 3
  Beauty: 6 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 1 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 25 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Last visited 2010-03-25
  id: reyes.21
Unnamed creek descending from Pelican Lake

• waterfall at (37.948, -122.7775):
  Name: Pelican Falls
  gps coordinates estimated from map, reliability unknown
  
  Only reachable via a rocky beach at minus tides? Elephant Seals mate here in winter and early spring. It's illegal and probably unsafe to visit when they're present, which would be the best time to find a convenient low tide. I plan to visit this someday in November, but November low tides are late enough in the afternoon that I won't return to the trailhead before dark.
  Duration: 365 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 100 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  id: reyes.19
Alamere Creek

• waterfall at (37.9537, -122.7834):
  Name: Alamere Falls
  gps coordinates estimated from map, reliability unknown
  taken 2024-02-18:
  taken 2011-07-10:
  
  smaller falls upstream:
  
  upper falls:
  
  Videos:
  
  Beauty: 10
  Duration: 365 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 80 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 50 feet
  Number of drops 1
  Terrain: official trail, not well maintained
  For more info, see California Waterfalls, by Ann Marie Brown
  http://www.waterfallswest.com/waterfall.php?id=247
  route: The trail from the top of the falls to the beach was a mildly challenging scramble around 2014 when I last did it. Erosion has since made it harder. It now very much requires holding onto a rope. I'm avoiding that. I recommend using the beach access near Wildcat Camp instead, although that may be hard at high tide.
  Last visited 2024-02-18
  id: reyes.20
Unnamed creek

• waterfall at (37.97708, -122.79724):
  taken 2011-11-13:
  
  Beauty: 3
  Beauty: 7 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 20 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 22 feet
  Terrain: beach
  Last visited 2011-11-13
  id: reyes.27
Unnamed creek

• waterfall at (37.97916, -122.79966):
  Name: Phantom Falls
  taken 2024-02-18:
  
  Video:
  
  If the ocean is calm, it can sometimes be reached at high tide, but it's better when the tide is moderately low. Storms sometimes wash away enough sand that can only be reached at low tides.
  Beauty: 7
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 3 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 215 feet give or take 12 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 12 feet
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Wildcat
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  http://www.waterfallswest.com/waterfall.php?id=259
  Last visited 2024-02-18
  id: reyes.28
• waterfall at (37.98218, -122.80367):
  Name: North Phantom Falls
  
  I have not managed to visit this one when it was flowing.
  Height 70 feet
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Wildcat
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  https://www.waterfallswest.com/waterfall.php?id=north-phantom-falls-2681
  id: reyes.43
Unnamed creek

• waterfall at (37.984239, -122.806721):
  Name: Horsetail Falls
  taken 2016-01-07:
  
  Video:
  
  Accessible only on a minus tide, via Wildcat Camp. It may also be possible to see this from the Coast trail near Arch Rock.
  Beauty: 6
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 21 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 29 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 21 feet give or take 2 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 12 feet
  Terrain: rocky shoreline, requires low tide and unusual caution
  Beach: Wildcat
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  Last visited 2016-01-07
  id: reyes.29
• waterfall at (37.990323, -122.815909):
  taken 2017-01-11:
  
  Video:
  
  Several things that barely have enough water to qualify as waterfalls, including two small ones that emerge from the middle of rocks.
  Beauty: 4.5
  Duration: 1 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 15 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 10 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Beach: Kelham
  Last visited 2017-01-11
  id: reyes.36
• waterfall at (37.99289, -122.81799):
  Name: Surprise Falls
  taken 2017-01-11:
  
  Videos:
  
  Unimpressive under most conditions, but well worth seeing when it's at it's best flow.
  Beauty: 8.5
  Duration: 20 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 41 feet give or take 4 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 40 feet
  Number of drops 1
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Kelham
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  Last visited 2017-01-11
  id: reyes.13
• waterfall at (37.99366, -122.81821):
  
  middle one, and lower half of right one taken 2017-01-11:
  
  all 3:
  
  close-up of right one, with upper parts of left one somewhat visible in background:
  
  Videos:
  
  Three waterfalls, close enough to combine into one entry here. The leftmost is the most interesting, but it's hard to see upper part. The middle one is 8 feet high, the right one is 14 feet. The first video includes a view of Surprise Falls at the end.
  Beauty: 6
  Duration: 2.5 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 46 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 10 feet
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Kelham
  Last visited 2017-01-11
  id: reyes.30
• waterfall at (37.99475, -122.81918):
  taken 2017-01-11:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 6.5
  Beauty: 7.5 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 10 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 20 feet give or take 2 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 18 feet
  Number of drops 1
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Kelham
  Last visited 2017-01-11
  id: reyes.14
• waterfall at (37.99669, -122.82120):
  Name: Kelham Beach Cascade
  taken 2007-02-10:
  taken 2017-01-11:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 6.5
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 365 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 28 feet give or take 2 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 6 feet
  Terrain: well-maintained trail
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  route: From the Coast Trail about a mile north of Arch Rock, find the trail to the beach at a large Eucalyptus tree
  Last visited 2011-12-23
  id: reyes.12
• waterfall at (37.997648, -122.822855):
  taken 2017-01-11:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 5
  Duration: 2 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 26 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 12 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Beach: Kelham
  Last visited 2017-01-11
  id: reyes.37
• waterfall at (37.997794, -122.823226):
  taken 2017-01-11:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 4.5
  Duration: 1 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 30 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 15 feet
  Number of drops 2
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Beach: Kelham
  Last visited 2017-01-11
  id: reyes.38
• waterfall at (37.999056, -122.825218):
  taken 2017-01-11:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 6.5
  Duration: 3 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 23 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 16 feet
  Number of drops 1
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  Beach: Kelham
  route: Requires a very low tide (about minus 1 foot) to reach without wading in water. That happens mainly in December and January on days when the moon is rising around 4pm. It took me 6 years between first scouting this area, and finding the right combination of weather and tide to see it flowing.
  Last visited 2017-01-11
  id: reyes.39
• waterfall at (37.99983, -122.82831):
  taken 2011-12-23:
  
  Beauty: 4
  Beauty: 7 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 30 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 33 feet give or take 3 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 22 feet
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Secret
  Last visited 2011-12-23
  id: reyes.31
• waterfall at (38.00219, -122.83081):
  taken 2011-12-23:
  
  Beauty: 6
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 2 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 24 feet give or take 2 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 2 feet
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Secret
  Last visited 2011-12-23
  id: reyes.32
• waterfall at (38.00491, -122.83522):
  Name: second Showerbath
  taken 2011-12-23:
  
  Videos:
  
  Beauty: 7
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 365 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 15 feet give or take 2 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 12 feet
  Number of drops 1
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Secret
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  route: The popular way to get there is to follow the beach southeast from Sculptured Beach. I recommend a tide of -1 feet or lower for this route. There are also some crude, steep paths heading down from the Coast Trail near 38.00609, -122.83487 and ending just west of the waterfall which work at most tides. Or you can go partway down one of those paths and look down on it without going down the steep part.
  Last visited 2011-12-23
  id: reyes.33
• waterfall at (38.00555, -122.83678):
  Name: first Showerbath
  taken 2011-12-23:
  
  Beauty: 5
  Beauty: 8 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 30 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 17 feet give or take 2 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 15 feet
  Number of drops 1
  Terrain: beach
  Beach: Secret
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  Last visited 2011-12-23
  id: reyes.34
Unnamed creek just north of Kehoe Beach

• waterfall at (38.158269, -122.949419):
  taken 2017-02-08:
  
  Videos:
  
  Beauty: 8
  Duration: 7 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 31 feet give or take 2 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 23 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk north a short distance. It is probably reachable at most tides.
  Last visited 2017-02-08
  id: reyes.22
Unnamed creek just north of Kehoe Beach

• waterfall at (38.163770, -122.949501):
  taken 2017-02-08:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 7.5
  Duration: 3 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 130 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 97 feet give or take 12 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 20 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk north about 2/3 mile. It is probably reachable at medium to low tides.
  Last visited 2017-02-08
  id: reyes.40
Unnamed creek just north of Kehoe Beach

• waterfall at (38.163954, -122.948655):
  taken 2017-02-08:
  
  Videos:
  
  Beauty: 7.5
  Duration: 3 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 32 feet give or take 5 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 10 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk north about 2/3 mile. It is probably reachable at medium to low tides. I recommend viewing it from the beach - it's a tricky 80 yard scramble to get a close view.
  Last visited 2017-02-08
  id: reyes.41
Unnamed creek just north of Kehoe Beach

• waterfall at (38.169753, -122.951862):
  taken 2017-02-08:
  
  Video:
  
  Beauty: 5
  Duration: 1 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 25 feet
  Biggest vertical drop 12 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk/climb/wade north a mile, going through "the keyhole". The waterfall will be on the beach that you find shortly after that. Do not attempt this without reading Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2.
  Last visited 2017-02-08
  id: reyes.42
Unnamed creek in what Tom Harrison's map calls Chute Gulch

• waterfall at (38.174425, -122.95295):
  Name: Ribbon Falls
  gps coordinates estimated from map, reliability unknown
  taken 2007-02-13:
  
  There are conflicting reports about whether this flows year round. Given the difficulty of reaching it, nobody should go there in the dry season.
  Beauty: 9
  Beauty: 10 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 365 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 60 feet (broadly defined)
  Height 50 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk/climb/wade north a mile and a half. Do not attempt this without reading Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2.
  Last visited 2007-02-13
  id: reyes.23
Unnamed creek just north of Chute Gulch

• waterfall at (38.177146, -122.954512):
  gps coordinates estimated from map, reliability unknown
  
  in the lower right taken 2007-02-13:
  
  Beauty: 6
  Beauty: 9 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 14 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 15 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk/climb/wade north a mile and a half. Do not attempt this without reading Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2.
  Last visited 2007-02-13
  id: reyes.24
Unnamed creek just north of Chute Gulch

• waterfall at (38.178066, -122.955027):
  gps coordinates estimated from map, reliability unknown
  
  in the upper left taken 2007-02-13:
  
  the lower part:
  
  The height is a very rough guess.
  Beauty: 7
  Beauty: 9 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 30 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 125 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk/climb/wade north a mile and a half. Do not attempt this without reading Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2.
  Last visited 2007-02-13
  id: reyes.25
Unnamed creek near Elephant Rock

• waterfall at (38.179263, -122.957956):
  gps coordinates estimated from map, reliability unknown
  taken 2007-02-13:
  
  This may be what Waterfallswest.com calls Elephant Falls. I have little idea how tall it is - it could be anywhere from 100 to 400 feet.
  Beauty: 6
  Beauty: 9 (including beauty of the hike to the falls)
  Duration: 7 days after a significant rainfall
  Height 125 feet
  Terrain: beach at low tide
  For more info, see Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2
  route: From Kehoe Beach, walk/climb/wade north about 2 miles. Do not attempt this without reading Secret Waterfalls of Marin volume 2.
  Last visited 2007-02-13
  id: reyes.26
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