The best waterfalls in California

I was completely blown away by Yosemite! I can’t believe I actually witnessed the legendary “limited edition” rainbow at Bridalveil Fall!

About an hour and a half before sunset (19:05, March 15, 2026), around 17:30, the sunlight angle was absolutely perfect. In that golden light, the massive waterfall mist was refracted into a shifting rainbow of colors. The entire waterfall looked like it was wrapped in a flowing, glowing ribbon of light—pure natural romance.

And what made it even more incredible was that there was also a huge full rainbow appearing right beside it at the same time! Two natural wonders overlapping together—honestly, what kind of luck was that?

Cedar Creek Falls Trail | Hiking near San Diego

This is a down-then-up trail, and it requires crossing a creek about three times before reaching the waterfall at the end.

The waterfall is quite impressive in scale and is one of the largest in the San Diego area. After doing several relatively boring “pure exercise” trails around San Diego—where there’s not much to see except endurance training—this trail stands out as one of the best in both scenery and overall experience in the region.

This season is perfect for hiking in Yosemite. The weather is neither too hot nor too cold, and the waterfalls are flowing at full force. There are plenty of trails in Yosemite Valley, ranging from easy walks to more challenging hikes. Yosemite Falls Trail is one of the oldest hiking routes in Yosemite National Park, dating back to around 1880.

The round-trip distance is about 7.2 miles, with roughly 2,700 feet of elevation gain, making it a strenuous hike. Definitely know your limits and hike at your own pace.

There are three main turnaround points along the trail:

Burney Falls is located about an hour’s drive from Redding in Northern California. It is often praised as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Personally, if you’ve already seen Huangguoshu Waterfall in China, you may not need to have very high expectations (although to be fair, the water here is indeed a very beautiful blue).

Here is a simple fast and ticket-free route for visiting (refer to the red arrow path in the map). The trail conditions are very easy, so if you want to save time, you can bookmark this route.

Important note when navigating: Do not set your GPS to “Burney Falls.” Instead, navigate directly to “Burney Falls Trailhead.”

Yosemite | Vernal Falls beginner hiking experience

For hikers with limited exercise and little trekking experience, this is a simple sharing from a beginner’s perspective.

Note: In summer, part of the Mist Trail is under maintenance. Before 3:30pm, hikers must take a detour via the John Muir Trail. I chose to start after 3:30pm and did a round trip on the Mist Trail, covering about 4.5 km.

Hiking to the Top of Nevada Fall | Yosemite

We took the Mist Trail for both the ascent and descent. The round trip is about 5.4 miles with roughly 2,000 feet of elevation gain.

After passing Vernal Fall, there is a steep climb of around 600 stone steps. The waterfall spray is very strong, and the rocks on the steps are extremely slippery. Proper clothing and sturdy shoes make the experience much easier and more enjoyable.

McWay Falls is, in my opinion, the most beautiful spot along Highway 1. It is not a towering, dramatic waterfall, but rather something that feels like a perfectly composed miniature landscape: water flows out of McWay Creek and drops directly into the ocean. Together with the deep blue sea, soft sandy beach, and lush green vegetation, it forms a richly colored, almost painterly scene.

When the tide is high, the waterfall plunges straight into the Pacific Ocean. When the tide is low, it falls onto a hidden, untouched beach below the cliffs. As a rare “tidefall” (a waterfall that flows directly into the sea), this kind of natural feature is extremely uncommon worldwide. It’s easy to imagine how magical it must look at sunset, when golden light hits the cliffs, though I didn’t get to stay that late this time due to travel plans.

This wasn’t my first visit to McWay Falls—I came here six years ago as well. Back then, I had just started learning photography and wasn’t very experienced, and the lighting wasn’t ideal either. I only managed to take a wide, imperfect shot. Still, even now, revisiting that old photo years later, I’m reminded just how beautiful McWay Falls is, even when captured without much skill or planning.

Weekend hike to Alamere Falls

I finally hiked to Alamere Falls this weekend. Overall, it wasn't difficult at all, and we finished the entire hike without needing long breaks.

Time: About 5 hours

Most years, in the last two weeks of February, thousands of people drive into Yosemite National Park to watch a waterfall that isn't actually on fire.

It's called Horsetail Fall, a seasonal cascade on the east side of El Capitan — and for a few minutes at sunset, under the right conditions, it turns the color of molten lava. Photographers and park visitors call the phenomenon the Yosemite Firefall. I went to see it myself, and the experience taught me something the photos never do: this is one of the most weather-dependent "sure things" in American travel.

Quick Facts About Horsetail Fall Location: East side of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California Height: About 2,130 feet (650 m) Water source: Snowmelt only — it runs dry by summer "Firefall" viewing window: Roughly February 10–26 each year (exact dates shift with weather and snowpack) Best viewing time: The 15–20 minutes before sunset Nearest parking: Yosemite Falls parking area Walk to viewpoint: About 1.5 miles (one way) to the area near El Capitan Picnic Area It's Not Fire — It's Light

Cataract Falls, Marin County — What to Know Before You Go

Finally made it out to Cataract Falls! Just search "Cataract Falls" in your GPS and go — it's a little over an hour's drive from the Bay Area.

One thing to watch out for: parking. It's free, but there are only around 20 spots, and I ended up too close to the road — got my first parking ticket of 2026 for it. Learn from my mistake and park properly clear of the roadway.