Darwin Falls
Darwin Falls is a rare year-round waterfall in Death Valley National Park, which is one of the driest places on earth. Fed by springs near the Panamint Springs area, the underground watercourse is mostly protected from the evaporative heat of the unrelenting desert sun. Thus, its volume remains intact when it appears as a few light-flowing cascades and waterfalls as it resurfaces. Technically, Death Valley is not in the Southern and Central Sierras of California, but it's close enough (a couple hours of driving) east of the Hwy 395 that I've included it here. To get here, you'll have to take either of two approaches east of Hwy 395 either at Olancha or Lone Pine. As you approach the Panamint Springs area, look for a rough unpaved road, which you take for a few minutes (passable by passenger car if you take it slow) until you reach the signed car park. From there, you walk up the wash and follow the trail (sometimes faint with a few scrambling areas) until you get to the main 30ft falls. I understand there are cascades further upstream, but that would involve more nontrivial scrambling beyond the official trail. We didn't do it so I can't comment further on that.
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