California Falls
California Falls is a waterfall in California, at a recorded elevation of 2,360 m. Cockscomb stands 3,369 m to the south-southeast, 6.3 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.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 2360 m
How to reach it
- 3.0 mi off the Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road, National
Overlooks nearby
- Lembert Dome · 6 mi
- View on Tenaya Lake · 7 mi
- Disappearing Meadows · 9 mi
- Tioga Lake Overlook Info Site · 10 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Scary Dome: 0.4 mi
- Scar Dome: 0.4 mi
- Wildcat Point: 0.9 mi
- SAR Dome: 1.0 mi
- Hammer Dome: 2.3 mi
- LeConte Falls: 0.8 mi
- White Cascade: 1.3 mi
- Waterwheel Falls: 1.3 mi
- Tuolumne Falls: 1.4 mi
- Upper Cathedral Creek Falls: 3.5 mi
- Soda Springs: 4.8 mi
- Iron Spring: 13.4 mi
- Jordan Spring: 15.8 mi
- Mono Vista Spring: 17.9 mi
- Black Spring: 18.1 mi
- Soda Springs Cabin: 4.8 mi
- California Historic Civil Engineering Landmark: 11.7 mi
- Ghost Cabin: 12.3 mi
- World Heritage Site: 14.1 mi
- Women's Club Building: 14.3 mi
- Dore Cliff: 10.9 mi
- Bunnell Cliff: 12.5 mi
- Diving Board: 13.2 mi
- Cascade Cliffs: 13.6 mi
- Castle Cliffs: 13.7 mi
- Indian Arch: 11.5 mi
- Upside-Down House: 17.7 mi
- Valley View Parking: 18.6 mi
- Valley View Yosemite (Sunset Spot): 18.6 mi
- Perched Boulder: 22.0 mi
- Ansel Adams residence: 14.0 mi
- Yosemite Exploration Center: 14.1 mi
- Indian Village: 14.1 mi
- Yosemite Museum & Library: 14.1 mi
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: 14.4 mi
- Swinging Bridge Picnic Area: 15.2 mi
- El Capitan Picnic Area: 16.3 mi
- Cathedral Beach Picnic Area: 16.7 mi
- Aerie Crag Picnic Area: 19.5 mi
- Summit Meadow: 20.4 mi
- Benson Lake Beach: 8.5 mi
- Danburg Beach: 17.9 mi
- June Lake Beach: 22.0 mi
- Navy Beach: 22.9 mi
- Mono Lake Park: 17.6 mi
- Gus Hess Community Park: 17.7 mi
- Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area: 20.9 mi
- Gull Lake Park: 21.8 mi
- Bennettville: 9.9 mi
- Dunderberg Mill: 16.6 mi
- Dog Town: 22.0 mi
- Yosemite National Park: 7.7 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 6.7 miles of California Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cockscomb | SSE 151° | 3,369 m | 6.3 mi |
| Echo Peak #0 | SSE 160° | 3,367 m | 6.1 mi |
| Echo Peak #3 | SSE 161° | 3,343 m | 6.1 mi |
| Echo Peak #1 | SSE 160° | 3,330 m | 6.1 mi |
| Echo Peak #5 | SSE 160° | 3,330 m | 6.1 mi |
| Echo Peak #2.5 | SSE 161° | 3,328 m | 6.1 mi |
| Ragged Peak | ENE 76° | 3,326.3 m | 4.9 mi |
| Echo Peak #2 | SSE 160° | 3,318 m | 6.1 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:02 | 18:35 | 19:10 |
| June solstice | 05:36 | 19:45 | 20:24 |
| September equinox | 06:46 | 18:22 | 18:56 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 16:01 | 16:43 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 27 | 25 | 29 | 34 | 40 | 49 | 55 | 53 | 49 | 42 | 33 | 26 |
| Precip in | 6.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.5 |
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 9.9 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 12.0 | 11.9 | 13.2 | 9.6 | 9.2 | 10.0 |
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.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/971968244
Day trips start here
- Yosemite National Park · 14 mi
- Sierra Nevada · 15 mi
- Mono Lake · 24 mi
Take the scenic way to California Falls.
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