Cataract Falls

Mt Tamalpais, California, USA

About Cataract Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Cataract Falls is really a long series of waterfalls and rapids starting near the Laurel Dell and eventually spilling into the man-made Alpine Lake.

During our visits to the falls, there were so many of these cascades that I don’t have a whole lot of faith in my count as to how many there were in total.

Cataract_Falls_066_04212019 - One of many waterfalls and cascades comprising Cataract Falls
One of many waterfalls and cascades comprising Cataract Falls

Case in point, I counted 6, but Julie counted 9 on our first visit.

When I came back, several years later, I counted at least 7 or 8 of them.

Personally, I only counted the falls that I thought were big enough to be photo-worthy, but that was totally subjective.

In any case, things like this are best described by a former college roommate of mine who’d say with half annoyance and half indifference, “DETAILS!”

Cataract_Falls_095_04092010 - Closeup look at one of the uppermost tiers of the Cataract Falls as seen on our first visit back in April 2010
Closeup look at one of the uppermost tiers of the Cataract Falls as seen on our first visit back in April 2010

I’ve heard that this waterfall has a short season, but both of my visits have taken place in the month of April (in 2010 and in 2019) when Cataract Creek has had good flow each time.

Hiking Options for the Cataract Creek to Laurell Dell and back

The trail to see Cataract Falls pretty much followed Cataract Creek alongside each of the waterfalls.

Since we started from Alpine Lake, that meant it was all uphill to see the falls before coming back.

However, I was aware that it might have been possible to take a longer trail to Laurell Dell from a different starting point.

Cataract_Falls_027_04212019 - Looking across Alpine Lake, which was where I started and ended the hike up along the Cataract Falls using the Laurell Dell Picnic Area as the turnaround point
Looking across Alpine Lake, which was where I started and ended the hike up along the Cataract Falls using the Laurell Dell Picnic Area as the turnaround point

If true, then that would involve doing a longer upside down hike to Alpine Lake before returning back up to Laurel Dell and the alternate parking lot.

I’m only going to describe the approach from Alpine Lake to Laurell Dell and back since that was the only way we’ve experienced the Cataract Falls.

Thus, that made for a 3.2-mile out-and-back hike with a pause for a picnic at Laurell Dell Picnic Area.

Considering the quantity of falls, we ended up spending a lot more time than we anticipated for such a relatively short hike distance-wise.

Cataract_Falls_156_04212019 - The Laurell Dell Picnic Area at the top of the Cataract Falls hike
The Laurell Dell Picnic Area at the top of the Cataract Falls hike

In the literature, Ann Marie Brown has it at 3.2 miles round trip while I’ve seen another website report the distance at 2.6 miles return.

From my latest GPS logs on an April 2019 visit, I more apt to believe the 3.2 miles round trip number.

Cataract Creek Trail Description

Starting from hairpin turn at the Cataract Creek Trailhead (see directions below), the trail followed along the southern shores of the manmade Alpine Lake.

The trail continued towards the headwaters of Alpine Lake, where Cataract Creek fed into it.

Cataract_Falls_015_04212019 - The Cataract Creek Trail skirting alongside the headwaters of the man-made Alpine Lake
The Cataract Creek Trail skirting alongside the headwaters of the man-made Alpine Lake

This was about 0.4 miles into the hike.

At this point, the trail started to climb steeply as it passed by one cascade or waterfall after another.

In this breathtaking stretch (quite literally), I counted at least three significant cascades on Cataract Creek.

The climb eventually momentarily petered out at a footbridge traversing Cataract Creek.

Cataract_Falls_083_04212019 - Looking back down at the footbridge spanning the Cataract Creek with some cascades of Cataract Falls tumbling around the trail
Looking back down at the footbridge spanning the Cataract Creek with some cascades of Cataract Falls tumbling around the trail

Then, the trail started climbing some more.

Just upstream from the footbridge was a fourth waterfall that had a bit of a segmented appearance as it spilled into a plunge pool.

This was roughly 0.6 miles from the trailhead.

Beyond this “fourth” waterfall, the trail more or less gently climbed as it continued to follow along Cataract Creek.

Cataract_Falls_088_04212019 - This waterfall was just upstream from the footbridge over Cataract Creek, which someone called the Helen Markt Falls
This waterfall was just upstream from the footbridge over Cataract Creek, which someone called the Helen Markt Falls

The waterfall density was a bit less in this 0.4-mile stretch as the scenery shifted from the action of falling water to the more tranquil scene of Cataract Creek providing white noise broken by bird songs.

Then, the trail started climbing once again as it went past a couple of waterfalls that weren’t immediately visible from the trail.

However, I managed to scramble to them as one featured a small cascade plunging into a wide pool in an idyllic setting.

Another waterfall sloped and twisted with a thin temporary waterfall adding to its flow.

Cataract_Falls_117_04212019 - Looking across the top of a sloping waterfall fed by a smaller and thinner temporary waterfall as seen along the Cataract Creek Trail
Looking across the top of a sloping waterfall fed by a smaller and thinner temporary waterfall as seen along the Cataract Creek Trail

This particular one was near the start of a series of steps continuing the ascent higher along Cataract Creek.

After another 0.2 miles, the trail reached what I dubbed to be the sixth waterfall though it very well could have been the eighth one.

This one consisted of a small series of cascades, and it had a spur trail leading to its bottom.

However, this spur also allowed me to have a distant view of the last of the Cataract Falls in the distance as it sloped and provided a backdrop to the sixth cascade.

Cataract_Falls_141_04212019 - Looking upstream at the 'sixth' and part of the 'seventh' cascade on Cataract Creek
Looking upstream at the ‘sixth’ and part of the ‘seventh’ cascade on Cataract Creek

As the trail got closer to that last waterfall, trail closure signs prevented the frontal views of it that I used to get.

However, as I climbed higher on the Cataract Creek Trail, I could clearly see the sloping nature of that last waterfall.

As the trail continued to climb, it reached a junction with the High Marsh Trail.

And in another 0.2 miles of flat hiking along Cataract Creek, I finally reached the Laurell Dell Picnic Area.

Cataract_Falls_160_04212019 - Making it up to the Laurel Dell, which was my turnaround point of the hike
Making it up to the Laurel Dell, which was my turnaround point of the hike

This was the perfect spot for a picnic break as there were a handful of picnic tables all situated by the idyllic Cataract Creek.

Beyond Laurell Dell, there were more trail junctions leading to other destinations.

However, for all intents and purposes, this was my turnaround point of the hike.

Authorities

Cataract Falls resides in the Mt Tamalpais Watershed near San Rafael in Marin County, California. It is administered by the Marin Municipal Water District. For information or inquiries about the park as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: tamalpais, marin, san francisco, bay area, central coast, california, waterfall



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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