Fallspots

Roaring River Falls

California · height not recorded · Kings Canyon National Park · Last verified 2026-05-15

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Flow at Roaring River Falls is light today (3 cfs) — visit for the geology, not the volume. The park has an active closure alert: "Middle Fork Road Closed During Repairs to Past Storm Damage."

Expect dry conditions today — don't drive out for this one. Flow is at 4.3 cfs (bottom 0% of the last 30 days, vs. 18.6 cfs average). The 7-day NOAA forecast shows no significant rain.

Right now

Streamflow

3.39 cfs

MARBLE FORK KAWEAH R · 1h ago

Overnight

53°F

Clear

Friday

98°F

Sunny

Today's daylight

Sunrise 5:43 AM · Sunset 8:15 PM · 14h 32m

AQI: 60 (Moderate) · PM2.5 4.7 µg/m³

Snapshot built 6m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS HNX.

Roaring River Falls, a waterfall in California
Photo: Niagara66, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Roaring River Falls is a waterfall in Fresno 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.

Roaring River Falls sits in Fresno County, California. The falls are inside Kings Canyon National Park, a US National Park. The base sits at roughly 4,904 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 33 minutes from Independence. A trail — Zumwalt Meadow to Roaring River Falls Trail — runs within 50 meters of the marked location. No public parking is recorded within 2 km, so a longer approach is likely. It draws modest visitor attention — busier weekends, quiet weekdays. Source records come from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.

Is the water flowing right now?

Most waterfall sites don't tell you this. The waterfall itself is almost never gauged, but a USGS streamgage in the same watershed can tell you whether snowmelt has started, peaked, or run dry.

  • USGS gage 11206820 · 12.5 mi away

    MARBLE FORK KAWEAH R AB HORSE C NR LODGEPOLE CA

    — Distant gauge — proxy reading, not on the same drainage.

    View live discharge data →

30-day streamflow

Below 30-day average
2026-06-10 · low 4.3 cfstoday 4.29 cfs · avg 18.6 cfs

↻ Same date last year: 4.7 cfs · 91% of last year — similar

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
Roaring River Falls (this page)N
Mist Falls5 mi45 ftmoderate · 8.2 miN$35
Grizzly Falls7 miYFree
Lower Gardiner Falls9 miN
Upper Gardiner Falls9 miN
Tokopah Falls12 miN

Questions visitors ask about Roaring River Falls

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

Is Roaring River Falls in a national or state park?

Yes — Roaring River Falls is inside Kings Canyon National Park. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.

Can I bring my dog to Roaring River 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 Roaring River Falls from a major city?

Roaring River Falls is 23 miles from Independence (about 33 minutes' drive).

More waterfalls in California

Where it is

36.7815, -118.6219

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

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