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California Falls

California Falls, seen from above at true elevation

California Falls is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 2,360 m. Sheep Peak stands 3,601 m to the northeast, 7.1 miles off. The nearest named place is Scary Dome, a peak 0.4 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 3.0 miles off. 164 named places lie within 25 miles, 52 of them named summits.

What the record says

Elevation
2,360 m

How to reach it

Coordinates37.91617, -119.44041

164 named places within 25 miles

Peaks: 52
Waterfalls: 41
Historic sites: 13
Springs: 11
Cliffs: 11
Museums: 9
Attractions: 8
  • Indian Arch: 11.5 mi
  • Upside-Down House: 17.7 mi
  • Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 18.6 mi
  • Perched Boulder: 22.0 mi
  • Tunnel Tree: 22.4 mi
Picnic sites: 7
Beaches: 4
Parks: 4
Ghost towns: 3
Nature reserves: 1

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of California Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Sheep PeakNE3,601 m7.1 mi
CockscombSSE3,369 m6.3 mi
Echo Peak #2.5SSE3,328 m6.1 mi
Ragged PeakENE3,326 m4.9 mi
Tuolumne PeakSW3,309 m3.7 mi
Cathedral PeakSSE3,308 m5.1 mi
Mount HoffmannSW3,308 m6.1 mi
Unicorn PeakSSE3,299 m5.8 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0218:3519:10
June solstice05:3619:4520:24
September equinox06:4618:2218:56
December solstice07:1116:0116:43

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Aug.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F272529344049555349423326
Precip in6.24.04.22.01.70.60.50.50.51.73.14.5

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Tuolumne Meadows RS, 6 mi away.

Months at or above the year’s average flow: Jun–Sep — fullest in Sep, leanest in May.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean cfs9.99.59.69.68.910.512.011.913.29.69.210.0

USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Lee Vining C BL Saddlebag LK NR Lee Vining CA, 10 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.

Inside the official boundary of Yosemite National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Aug.

NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap element node/971968244

More waterfalls in California

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