Waterfall hikes are some of the most photographed and most family-friendly trails in any state — the destination delivers a clear visual reward, and many are short enough to do before lunch. We pulled every Nevada trail in our database whose name explicitly references falls, cascade, chute, or plunge, then ranked them by accessibility so the easiest and shortest waterfall hikes surface first. The result is ten hikes that pay off without punishing the people you're hiking with.
Nevada is the most mountainous state in the US by count of named ranges — basin-and-range geography of north-south desert ranges separated by sagebrush valleys. Spring and fall are prime; summer is brutal at low elevation; high-country (Rubies, Snake Range) opens late June through October. Waterfalls run hardest in spring snowmelt and after sustained rain — the same windows when trail surfaces are slipperiest.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 6,359 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Nevada — but the data has limits worth being honest about. We identify waterfall hikes by scanning trail names for terms like "falls," "cascade," "chute," and "plunge." That misses unnamed seasonal cascades and trails whose primary feature is a waterfall not mentioned in the route name. Treat the list as a confident sample, not a complete catalog.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Bridalveil Fall Trail
Bridalveil Fall Trail near Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #1 slot for accessibility. Expect asphalt surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Bridalveil Fall Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Bridalveil Fall Trail
Bridalveil Fall Trail near Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #2 slot for accessibility. Expect asphalt surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Bridalveil Fall Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Carlon Falls Trail
Carlon Falls Trail near Coulterville in Tuolumne County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #3 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Carlon Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Cascade Creek Trail
Cascade Creek Trail near Dardanelle in Mono County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #4 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Compared to similar trails in Nevada, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Creek Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Cascade Creek Trail
Cascade Creek Trail near Dardanelle in Mono County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #5 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Creek Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Cascade Valley Cutoff
Cascade Valley Cutoff near Mammoth Lakes in Fresno County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #6 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Valley Cutoff trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Cascade Valley Cutoff
Cascade Valley Cutoff near Mammoth Lakes in Fresno County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #7 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cascade Valley Cutoff trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Chilnualna Falls Stock Trail
Chilnualna Falls Stock Trail near Fish Camp in Mariposa County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #8 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Chilnualna Falls Stock Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Chilnualna Falls Trail
Chilnualna Falls Trail near Fish Camp in Mariposa County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #9 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Compared to similar trails in Nevada, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Chilnualna Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Chilnualna Falls Trail
Chilnualna Falls Trail near Fish Camp in Mariposa County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #10 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Chilnualna Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Nevada trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Nevada. Spring and fall are prime; summer is brutal at low elevation; high-country (Rubies, Snake Range) opens late June through October. Heat, water scarcity, lightning on exposed peaks, and rattlesnakes are the state's recurring hazards.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Nevada hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Nevada coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Nevada — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Nevada — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Nevada — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Nevada — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Nevada — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Nevada — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Nevada — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Nevada last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
