Lower Ravine Falls

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve / Oroville, California, USA

About Lower Ravine Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Lower Ravine Falls was a roughly 60ft waterfall on Ravine Creek representing a quieter alternative to the much busier Phantom Falls experience in the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve.

In fact, I’d argue that the appeal of doing this detour was to get away from the crowds of people on the other trail (mostly appreciating wildflowers and the falls while not really social distancing nor wearing masks).

Phantom_Falls_152_04092021 - Lower Ravine Falls
Lower Ravine Falls

Granted, visiting this particular waterfall involved a roughly 1.4-mile out-and-back detour away from the Phantom Falls Trail, which would add to the already 5-mile round-trip Phantom Falls hike.

That’s the main reason why it was a much quieter experience as I’d imagine most people weren’t interested in extending their hike for another smaller waterfall.

In any case, if you’re wondering whether it’s worth doing this detour, the Phantom Falls Trail passes by Ravine Falls, which is further upstream.

So if that waterfall has decent flow, then it might be worth pursuing the Lower Ravine Falls.

Phantom_Falls_065_04092021 - If (Upper) Ravine Falls is flowing, then it might be worth pursuing the Lower Ravine Falls
If (Upper) Ravine Falls is flowing, then it might be worth pursuing the Lower Ravine Falls

That said, unlike the Ravine Falls, which allowed me to appreciate its bottom, I was only able to appreciate the Lower Ravine Falls from its brink.

From there, I had the option of taking a connecting trail back towards Hollow Falls and Beatson Falls (the latter being 1.2 miles away), or I could backtrack to the Phantom Falls Trail and rejoin the fray.

Anyways, in order to reach the Lower Ravine Falls, the shortest and easiest approach would be to follow the Phantom Falls Trail for the first 2.2 miles to a signposted trail junction.

At this junction, that’s where a sign pointing the way to Lower Ravine Falls started and indicated it was another 0.7-mile away.

Phantom_Falls_136_04092021 - On the trail to the Lower Ravine Falls, there is this narrow opening in the fencing that I had to squeeze through among some very dry and fire-scarred trees
On the trail to the Lower Ravine Falls, there is this narrow opening in the fencing that I had to squeeze through among some very dry and fire-scarred trees

Just doing Lower Ravine Falls as an out-and-back hike would be roughly 5.6 miles round-trip, but if you’re already here, you mind as well finish the hike and experience Phantom Falls for a minimum of 6.4 miles round-trip.

Allow yourself at least 3-4 hours in total to experience these waterfalls (and possibly wildflowers along the way).

Authorities

Lower Ravine Falls resides in a combination of the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve and some private lands near Oroville in Butte County, California. It is administered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. For information or inquiries about the area 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: north table mountain ecological reserve, oroville, chico, gold run, ravine falls, ravine creek, wildflowers, cows



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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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