Best dog-friendly waterfall hikes in California
75 verified hikes from our directory of 376 California waterfalls.
What we mean by dog friendly
Dog-friendly means the land manager allows leashed dogs on this specific trail. State parks and National Forests usually do; National Park trails almost never. We mark dog_friendly only when we've confirmed the policy applies to the trail, not just the parking lot.
One caveat: Leash rules are enforced. Bring a 6-foot leash, waste bags, and water for the dog. Hot rock and pavement burn paws — check temperature with your hand for 5 seconds before letting them walk on it.
Gear hint: Our dog Brook carries her own water in a fitted pack; we carry her booties for shale and hot pavement. Cold-water tail-tuck on small breeds is real — keep them out of glacial plunge pools.
The 75 picks
Each opens to a full page with trail distance, elevation gain, parking, fee, best months, and live conditions when available.
Alamere Falls
height unverified · Phillip Burton Wilderness
Ash Creek Falls
height unverified · Mount Shasta Wilderness
Berry Creek Falls
height unverified · West Waddell Creek State Wilderness
Bluff Falls
height unverified · Lassen National Forest
Bridal Veil Falls
height unverified · Eldorado National Forest
Burney Falls
115 ft · McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Burstarse Falls
height unverified · Castle Crags Wilderness
Cedar Creek Falls
height unverified · Cleveland National Forest
Cholollo Falls
height unverified · Sequoia National Forest
Clark Creek Falls
height unverified · Lassen National Forest
Coquette Falls
height unverified · Mount Shasta Wilderness
Deadhorse Falls
height unverified · Lassen National Forest
Diana Falls
20 ft · Stanislaus National Forest
Dorr Canyon Falls
33 ft · Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness
Dry Falls
height unverified · Anza-Borrego Desert State Wilderness
East Snow Mountain Falls
2,200 ft · Tahoe National Forest
Fairy Falls
height unverified · The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Feather Falls
410 ft · Plumas National Forest
Fern Falls
height unverified · Plumas National Forest
First Falls
height unverified · John Muir Wilderness
Five Finger Falls
height unverified · The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Frazier Falls
height unverified · Plumas National Forest
Golden Falls
height unverified · West Waddell Creek State Wilderness
Gray Falls
height unverified · Six Rivers National Forest
Green Valley Falls
height unverified · Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Grizzly Falls
height unverified · Monarch Wilderness
Hatchet Creek Falls
height unverified · Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Horsetail Falls
height unverified · Hoover Wilderness
Horsetail Falls
791 ft · Desolation Wilderness
Hot Springs Falls
height unverified · Los Padres National Forest
Indian Falls
height unverified · Plumas National Forest
Islay Falls
height unverified · Montaña de Oro State Park
Jackson Falls
height unverified · Sespe Wilderness
Johnson Creek Falls
height unverified · Klamath National Forest
Kickapoo Waterfall
height unverified · Trinity Alps Wilderness
Leavitt Falls
height unverified · Hoover Wilderness
Line Creek Falls
height unverified · Kaiser Wilderness
Little Nellie Falls
height unverified · Stanislaus National Forest
Lower Deer Creek Falls
height unverified · Lassen National Forest
Lower Falls
height unverified · Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Manning Falls
height unverified · Silver Peak Wilderness
Maple Falls
height unverified · Marble Mountain Wilderness
Maple Falls
height unverified · The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
McWay Falls
height unverified · Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Middle Falls
height unverified · Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Middle Fork Falls
height unverified · Limekiln State Park
Mildred Falls
height unverified · Cleveland National Forest
Mill Creek Falls
height unverified · South Warner Wilderness
Mud Creek Falls
height unverified · Mount Shasta Wilderness
Murietta Falls
108 ft · Ohlone Regional Wilderness Area
Pacheco Falls
height unverified · Henry W. Coe State Park
Pinto Creek Falls
height unverified · Orestimba Wilderness
Potem Falls
70 ft · 0.6 mi · 140 ft climb · Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Punch Bowl
height unverified · Sespe Wilderness
Robison Falls
height unverified · Orestimba Wilderness
Rock Creek Falls
height unverified · Lassen National Forest
Salmon Creek Falls
height unverified · Silver Peak Wilderness
Second Falls
height unverified · John Muir Wilderness
Seven Falls
height unverified · Los Padres National Forest
Silver Falls
height unverified · West Waddell Creek State Wilderness
Slippery Falls
height unverified · West Waddell Creek State Wilderness
Sonoma Creek Falls
height unverified · Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Stairstep Falls
height unverified · Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Sycamore Falls
height unverified · Boney Mountain State Wilderness
Tangerine Falls
height unverified · Los Padres National Forest
Tassajara Creek Falls
height unverified · Ventana Wilderness
Temescal Falls
height unverified · Topanga State Park
The Cascades
height unverified · West Waddell Creek State Wilderness
Tip Toe Falls
height unverified · Portola Redwoods State Park
Upper Eagle Falls
height unverified · Desolation Wilderness
Upper Falls
height unverified · Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Upper Salmon Creek Falls
height unverified · Silver Peak Wilderness
White Swift Falls
59 ft · Sespe Wilderness
Whitney Canyon Waterfalls
height unverified · Angeles National Forest
Whitney Falls
height unverified · Mount Shasta Wilderness
Before you go: 5 things we always check
- The official land manager's page for road and trail closures (linked on every individual waterfall page).
- The weather forecast for the area AND upstream — flash floods come from rain miles away.
- Recent ranger or hiker reports for slippery rock conditions.
- Whether the trail crosses a creek without a bridge — water levels change daily in snowmelt season.
- Cell coverage at the trailhead. Download offline maps in advance.
See our full safety disclaimer for the dangers we've flagged on individual waterfalls. Several have fatalities on record.