7 Best Waterfalls Near Redding You Need to Visit (+ map!)
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The best places to see waterfalls near Redding, from a local who has visited them all.
If you are visiting Redding, chances are that you are going to want to see some waterfalls, or at least one! The mountains surrounding the Shasta Cascade offer plenty to choose from.
Since I live in the area, I have spent many weekends visiting each of these waterfalls. While they are all beautiful, not all of them are easy to access. Some waterfalls require long mountain drives and steep hikes, others you can walk to in just a few minutes.
To help you find the best waterfalls to see near Redding, I’ve created this list of waterfalls within a 2-hour drive from downtown. I have included why I love them, why you might too, and everything else you need to know to make the most out of your visit to each of these waterfalls.
Redding Waterfalls Map
Click here to view an interactive map of the best waterfalls that I list in this post.
Best Waterfalls Near Redding
Burney Falls
Distance from Redding: 1 hour 20 minutes
Price: Day-use parking $10 per vehicle.
Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset.
Declared a National Natural Landmark in 1954, Burney falls is by far the most popular waterfall to see near Redding.
This 129 foot tall and 250 foot wide waterfall is absolutely incredible to see in person. A March 2021, National Geographic article even called it one of “northern California’s most spectacular waterfalls”.
Burney Falls State Park is located right off the highway just past the town of Burney, CA. It’s a little over an hour’s drive if you are coming from downtown Redding. Seeing this waterfall in person is worth the day trip.
However, the downside of visiting Burney Falls is that it is almost always busy. In fact, Burney Falls State Park will sometimes get over 10,000 visitors per day. This means that it won’t be the best place to visit if you are looking for some peace and quiet.
If you’ve never been to Burney Falls I highly recommend that you visit at least once. You just need to be sure you arrive when the park first opens to get parking.
The waterfall is visible from a lookout near the parking area, but for an even better experience, I suggest that you walk down the easy paved path (.25 miles) that leads to the base of the waterfall.
There is so much water spilling over the edge of the falls that it’s very loud at the base. You will enjoy the cool refreshing mist that surrounds the waterfall.
From the base of the falls you can choose to continue on and hike the easy Burney Falls Loop trail (1 mile) that leads through the surrounding forest.
Tips for Visiting Burney Falls
Make sure you try and get to the park as early as possible to get parking. Once the park is at capacity they will temporarily close the entrance.
When the entrance is closed, you are not allowed to park along Highway 89. Instead you will have to leave and return later in the day when the park reopens.
I would suggest visiting on a weekday, or arriving just after the park opens so that you can easily enter the park and avoid delays.
Also, if you have a dog, you should leave it at home, because while dogs are allowed in the parking area, they are not allowed on any trails within the park.
For detailed information about this waterfall, read my complete guide to Burney Falls.
Hedge Creek Falls
Distance from Redding: 53 minutes.
Price: No entrance fee & parking is free.
Hours: Open 24 hours.
Category: Easy to access.
Just north of Redding, you’ll find Hedge Creek Falls in the little town of Dunsmuir. This small but scenic waterfall is a unique experience, because you can walk behind it through a small cave.
At only 35 feet high, Hedge Creek Falls might not be as big as other waterfalls near Redding, but it’s one of my personal favorites.
If you are looking for a quick and easy waterfall to visit, and don’t want to deal with the crowds of the more popular waterfalls in the area, then this is an ideal spot.
Trailhead parking is easy and is located right next to I-5. From the trailhead, it’s a short but pretty .4 mile easy hike to the base of the waterfall.
Once you reach the base, you can walk behind the waterfall through a small cave and continue the trail that ends at a viewing platform that overlooks the Sacramento River and offers an incredible view of Mt. Shasta.
Most days you can easily find parking, but you will want to arrive early on busy weekends as the parking area is limited.
Hedge Creek falls is an underrated waterfall that’s easy to access, conveniently located next to I-5, and is less than an hours drive from Redding.
For more information about this waterfall, read my complete guide to Hedge Creek Falls.
McCloud Falls
Distance from Redding: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Price: No entrance fee & parking is free.
Hours: Always open during spring, summer and fall. (Access closed during winter when snowpack is high)
Just an hour and a half north of Redding is the popular McCloud River Falls. This is not just one waterfall, but three separate waterfalls (lower falls, middle falls, and upper falls).
My personal favorites are lower and middle falls. Upper Falls is also nice, but if you are short on time I would recommend skipping it because you can’t get very close to the waterfall from the viewing area.
To see each of the waterfalls, you can choose to hike The McCloud River Trail (4 miles round trip), or take the short drive to each of the separate parking areas.
Hiking to the waterfalls is fun if you have time, but it’s much faster to drive to each parking lot and walk on the short paved paths to the viewpoints.
Lower McCloud Falls is just a few steps from the parking area on a paved path. You will want to arrive early because this is the most popular of all the falls and parking can be an issue.
It’s the smallest of all three waterfalls, but it’s the waterfall that you can see the closest from the viewpoint.
This is also a popular swimming, fishing, and picnic spot so you can expect to see many visitors hanging out around the waterfall.
Middle McCloud Falls is the largest and the most impressive of all three. The waterfall is 50 feet high and 80 feet wide.
It’s a short walk from the parking lot to the Middle McCloud falls viewpoint where you can see the waterfall in the distance from above.
*Be extra careful if you are bringing kids, there are some steep drop offs near the viewpoint without railing.
To get a closer look you can follow the unmarked dirt trail (0.4 miles) that leads down to the base of the waterfall.
For more information about this waterfall, read my complete guide to McCloud Falls.
Potem Falls
Distance from Redding: 1 hour 9 minutes
Price: No entrance fee & parking is free.
Hours: Always open during spring, summer and fall. (Road might be inaccessible / dangerous in the winter when there is snowpack)
Potem Falls, also called (Potem Creek Falls) is located about 6 miles down a remote mountain road, an hour east of Redding.
This remote waterfall is 70 feet high and plunges down into a pool of water which is a popular swimming hole for locals during the summer.
If you want to visit a secluded hidden waterfall without busy crowds, then Potem Falls is perfect for you!
However, there is a reason that this waterfall isn’t as busy as the others, getting there can be difficult.
Potem Falls is located about 6 miles down a mountain road. The road is mostly gravel and dirt and it is well maintained.
You don’t have to have a 4×4 or high clearance vehicle (when I visited there were a few small sedans that made it), but you should prepare yourself for sections of road that are one lane with some steep drop offs.
The trailhead and parking area is unmarked and it can be easy to miss. I would suggest following google maps navigation and stopping when it tells you that you have arrived.
After Parking, there is a short steep hike down a narrow trail with long switchbacks to the base of the waterfall.
Getting to this waterfall isn’t the easiest, but if you are up for the adventure, it’s one of the prettiest waterfalls near Redding, and is an incredible swimming hole to cool off in the hot summers.
Crystal Creek Falls
Distance from Redding: 28 minutes.
Price: Whiskeytown entrance fee ($25 valid for 7 days) or an America The Beautiful Pass.
Hours: Always Open
Not too far past Whiskeytown Lake you’ll find Crystal Creek Falls. At just under a 30 minute drive, this is the closest waterfall to Redding.
If you are looking for a waterfall that is easy for kids or people with limited mobility, then this one is perfect.
It is also one of the easier waterfalls to get to. You will have to drive a few miles on a gravel road to reach the trailhead but the road is wide and well maintained.
Plan on stopping by the Whiskeytown Visitor Center to pay for a 7 day entrance pass ($25) unless you have an America The Beautiful Pass which gives you free entrance to Whiskeytown National Recreation area and other National Parks.
There is a parking lot right next to the trail head. The trail that leads to the falls is not really a trail, it’s actually more of a wide waved path (0.5 mile) that ends with a beautiful view of the waterfall cascading down over the rocks.
Whiskeytown Falls
Distance from Redding: 36 minutes.
Price: Whiskeytown entrance fee ($25 valid for 7 days) or an America The Beautiful Pass.
Hours: Always Open
Another popular waterfall near the lake is Whiskeytown Falls. This waterfall is amazing to see up close, but hiking to the waterfall is not easy.
The trailhead is located almost 40 minutes from Redding and is just up the road from the parking area for Crystal Creek Falls.
To get to the waterfall, you will have to hike the James K. Carr Trail (3.4 miles roundtrip) there is an elevation change of over 700 feet and your legs will feel it. The trail is rated strenuous, and after hiking it, I can see why.
The hike to the falls is almost all an uphill climb and on the way back it’s all downhill. There are many people that can’t make the hike and turn back around.
If you are in good shape, and a fairly experienced hiker, you will be fine. Just make sure that you don’t go on a day when it’s really hot, and bring water with you.
Whiskeytown Falls is 220 feet high, but it’s not a sudden drop like other waterfalls in the area. It’s a cascading waterfall that is on many levels.
When you reach the base of the falls, be sure to walk up the stairs to the left where you can get a view of the top part of the waterfall.
Because of the steep hike, many people avoid visiting this waterfall, but if you are in the area and you have time, this waterfall is worth seeing!
For more information about this waterfall, read my complete guide to Whiskeytown Falls.
Other Waterfalls Just Outside of Redding
There are many more popular waterfalls surrounding Redding. These didn’t make the list as the best ones to visit, because some have been closed and others are hard to access. Here are more waterfalls that you might be interested in:
- Hatchet Creek Falls – Was once a popular waterfall and swimming hole located on private property. You can no longer visit, as the owners closed it to the public in 2020, after visitors continued leaving trash, causing problems, and breaking into cars.
- Mossbrae Falls – This is easily one of the prettiest waterfalls, but since you have to trespass on private property, I didn’t include it on the list above because it’s technically illegal to visit. While many people ignore the warnings and visit anyway, I wouldn’t feel right recommending it.
- Kings Creek Falls – The 2.3 mile loop hike that leads to the falls is in Lassen National Park. There is an overlook where you can view the 30 foot cascading waterfall. Accessible from June through October.
- Mill Creek Falls – This 75 foot high waterfall is in Lassen National Park. It is accessible via a 3.4 mile round trip moderately difficult hike from June to October.
- Faery Falls – A 50 foot waterfall near Mt. Shasta that is accessible via a 2 mile round trip hike. It didn’t include it because there are some narrow sections that have eroded next to a steep dropoff that makes hiking the trail dangerous.
- Sweetbriar Falls – This small 20 foot waterfall near Dunsmuir is located just off I-5. Be sure to park in the wide area on the west side of the railroad tracks to avoid trespassing on private property. It is a 1.2 mile hike to the waterfall.
- Little Backbone Creek Natural Waterslide – This is a unique waterfall that has a natural smooth surface that you can use as a waterslide. Getting to the waterslide requires a boat ride across Shasta Lake, and a 20 minute hike up a creek.
- Burstarse Falls – This 50 foot tall waterfall is accessed via a moderate 4.9 mile round trip hike in the Castle Crags Wilderness.
- Root Creek Falls – A 5.2 mile round trip hike in the Castle Crags Wilderness area that features a view of a cascading waterfall spilling 500+ feet over the granite Castle Dome.
- Brandy Creek Falls – This 50 foot natural waterfall can be accessed by hiking a moderate 3 mile round trip hike within the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. (This trail is currently closed due damage from the Carr Fire of 2018)
- Boulder Creek Falls – To get to this 81 foot waterfall, you will have to take a 7.1 mile out and back moderately challenging trail near Whiskeytown Lake. The hike is steep in certain sections and requires a few creek crossings, so be prepared to get wet.
What is the best time of year to visit the Waterfalls?
Most of these waterfalls can be visited all year round, but you will need to be aware of certain climate conditions.
During the winter, waterfalls at higher elevations around the Shasta Cascade will be inaccessible due to snowpack.
In the summer, you can access all the waterfalls, but with average temperatures of over 100 degrees, you will want to avoid any long hikes in the heat.
With that said, if you want to witness the waterfalls at their peak flows, and avoid extreme temperatures of snowmelt, then the best time to visit the waterfalls is during spring (March, April, & May).
