McCloud Falls should have its own Yelp page listing because this is like posting about Niagara…read moreFalls in a Niagara River page.
McCloud and Burney Falls (an hour away) make the best one-two punch for waterfalls outside Yosemite. However, unlike Burney Falls, McCloud Falls has lots of free parking and no entrance fee because it is not a state park.
Upper Falls is the least dramatic. An ADA-accessible trail leads to an observation deck about 90 feet above the falls. The fact that people were waiting efficiently in a line to take a photo was more exciting for me than the falls itself. Plus, it is a bit strange looking down on waterfalls. Stupid waterfalls.
Anyhow, of the three locations Upper Falls offers a quieter environment, ideal for relaxation and reflection, especially if the water is still.
Lower Falls was the most chaotic, with two lanes of parking lot traffic on a one-way road, and more kids sprawling the river for swimming. The area, stocked with trout, seemed the more picnic and day trippy of the falls, the best place to eat your lunch.
Middle Falls is the money shot. The postcard. The one that has people posing for hours for the 'Gram. This is because it's 50 feet high and over 100 feet wide, creating a curtain of water over a basalt cliff into a pool below.
McCloud Falls deserves its own Yelp page--lumping it in with a generic "McCloud River" listing is like posting Niagara Falls under the Niagara River. Come on now.
Together, McCloud Falls and Burney Falls (just an hour apart) make the best one-two punch for waterfall chasers outside of Yosemite. But unlike Burney Falls, located in a state park that charges an entrance fee, McCloud Falls offers something rare and beautiful: lots of free parking and zero entrance fees. My favorite kind of waterfalls are free.
Upper Falls is the least dramatic of the trio. A well-maintained ADA-accessible trail leads to an observation deck perched about 90 feet above the falls. Ironically, the orderly line of people waiting to snap a photo was more thrilling than the waterfall itself. Also, there's something a little odd about looking down on a waterfall. Stupid waterfalls.
That said, Upper Falls is the most peaceful and serene, making it perfect for quiet moments of reflection--especially when the water is still.
Lower Falls is the more chaotic of the trio, with two lanes of traffic trying to share a narrow one-way road, while kids are sprawled across the banks of a rushing, whitewater river. The area, stocked with trout, feels tailor-made for picnics and day trips--the kind of place where sandwiches taste better for no logical reason.
Middle Falls is the showstopper. The money shot. The backdrop of annoying Instagram photo sessions. At 50 feet high and over 100 feet wide, it sends a dramatic curtain of water spilling over a basalt cliff into a pool below, with summer crowds climbing the shoreline boulders and wading into the 42 degree water just to ruin your pictures. I had to edit out so many people, they should call them McPhotoshop Falls.