Rainbow Falls is one of our favorite California waterfalls outside Yosemite featuring a 101ft year-round drop on the San Joaquin River near Mammoth Lakes.

Lower Falls of the San Joaquin River is the overlooked 30ft neighbor to Rainbow Falls. Most visitors don’t bother with this falls, but that’s the main appeal.

Minaret Falls is a 150ft spreading cascade (some say 300ft) just outside the boundaries of the Devils Postpile National Monument accessed by a 3-mile hike.

Monrovia Canyon Falls is a pleasant two-drop 30ft year-round waterfall in the foothills of Monrovia accessed by a family-friendly 1.5-mile round-trip hike.

Lower Calf Creek Falls is a 126ft year-round waterfall requiring a 6-mile hike to reach featuring pictographs, wildlife, and towering sandstone cliffs.

The Zion Narrows Waterfalls are found in the famous Zion Narrows, which act both as obstacles and landmarks. You can see them by hiking in the Virgin River.

‘Mossy Cave Falls’ is a name I made up for this tiny 15ft waterfall near Mossy Cave. The parking for the Mossy Cave is a few minutes east of the turnoff for Bryce Canyon.

Zion Canyon Waterfalls are typically ephemeral types that don’t last much longer than a few days after heavy rain making it worthwhile even in bad weather.

Sturtevant Falls is a 50ft moss-and-algae-accented waterfall within Big Santa Anita Canyon featuring cabins, creek crossings, and hard-to-find parking.

Paradise Falls (Wildwood Falls) is a family-friendly 40ft waterfall hike featuring a cave, a canyon, and wildflowers in Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks.

McWay Falls is an 80ft year-round waterfall dropping onto a beach on the Big Sur Coast. It’s one of the best spots to witness the ocean meeting the sky.

Salmon Creek Falls was one of the must-see waterfalls on the famed Big Sur Coast along Hwy 1. A short 1/4-mile trail brought us close to its 120ft drop.

Pfeiffer Falls is a small multi-strand 60ft waterfall within Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. We reached it on a forest hike with a spur trail to a valley view.

Bridalveil Fall is a reliable 620ft year-round waterfall across from El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. It rivals Yosemite Falls as the most photographed waterfall

Ribbon Falls was a slender 1612ft almost-free-falling waterfall that also happens to be one of Yosemite National Park’s tallest and easiest to see.