Fallspots

Darwin Falls

California · height not recorded · Death Valley National Park · Last verified 2026-05-15

See the full Death Valley National Park guide →

Today at Darwin Falls: clear, 73°F.

Right now

Overnight

73°F

Clear

Saturday

103°F

Sunny

Today's daylight

Sunrise 5:31 AM · Sunset 8:08 PM · 14h 36m

AQI: 45 (Good) · PM2.5 3.5 µg/m³

Snapshot built 13m ago. Sources: NWS VEF.

Darwin Falls, a waterfall in California
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (see image page for full attribution)

Darwin Falls is a waterfall in Inyo County, California. Height has not been officially recorded. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.

Darwin Falls is a waterfall located on the western edge of Death Valley National Park near the settlement of Panamint Springs, California. Although there exists a similarly named Darwin Falls Wilderness adjacent to the falls, the falls themselves are located in and administered by Death Valley National Park and the National Park Service. There are several falls, but they are mainly divided into the upper and lower, with a small grotto in between. At a combined 80 feet (24 m), it is the highest waterfall in the park. The canyon is walled by dramatic plutonic rock.

When to go (from the climate data, not our opinion)

Monthly averages from Open-Meteo's reanalysis dataset (2020–2024). Highlighted months are when we think the waterfall is at its best — but the numbers are the numbers regardless.

MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip (in)Snow days
Jan56421.12.6
Feb59421.92.6
Mar62451.53.4
Apr74550.50.2
May83630.10
Jun93720.10
Jul100790.20
Aug977610
Sep90710.10
Oct79610.10
Nov64490.30.4
Dec574411.8

Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API · ERA5 reanalysis 2020–2024.

Compare to nearby falls

If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.

WaterfallDistanceHeightTrailDogsFee
Darwin Falls (this page)N
Fossil Falls32 mi
Manly Fall (historical)33 mi
Dry fall42 miN
Dry fall43 miN
Volcano Falls48 mi

Questions visitors ask about Darwin Falls

Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.

Is Darwin Falls in a national or state park?

Yes — Darwin Falls is inside Death Valley National Park. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.

Can I bring my dog to Darwin Falls?

No — dogs are not allowed on trails here. Most National Park trails prohibit pets to protect wildlife. Service animals are an exception per ADA.

How far is Darwin Falls from a major city?

Darwin Falls is 5 miles from Darwin (about 7 minutes' drive).

More waterfalls in California

Where it is

36.3208, -117.5243

Sources and live status

Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.

Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15

Been there?

Marina and Theo verify pages one road trip at a time. If you've been to Darwin Falls recently, your local knowledge improves the page for everyone. Pick the kind of contribution that fits — every email lands in our inbox and gets read (and credited when we publish).

We don't collect your email. Replies go directly to hello@fallspots.com.