Photo: Sergey Yarmolyuk · CC BY-SA 4.0Middle McCloud River Falls
Worth a detour
Is it plungeworthy?
A wide horsetail on McCloud River.
The details
- Type
- Wide Horsetail
- Watercourse
- McCloud River
- Coordinates
- 41.24311, -122.00882
About Middle McCloud River Falls
Middle McCloud River Falls is a 44-foot wide horsetail in California, on McCloud River.
Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.
Plungeworthy rates Middle McCloud River Falls 6.9/10 — worth a detour. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
The broad middle act of the McCloud River's three-falls run: a fifty-foot curtain wall dropping into one of Northern California's best swimming pools, with Lower and Upper falls a flat riverside stroll in either direction. Three waterfalls, one easy trail, water you're actually allowed in.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Fowlers Camp or Lower Falls Picnic Area, McCloud River Loop Road off Hwy 89
- Parking
- Free day-use lots; a paved roadside overlook stares straight at Middle Falls for the no-hike version
- Road
- Paved loop road; the upper segment gates November through March
- Hike
- 1.4 mi round trip, 150 ft of climb (easy)
- Heads up
- Paved-to-packed-dirt river trail; the full three-falls walk runs about 3.5 miles round trip. Reaching the water's edge takes a boulder scramble.
When to go
May through October. Late spring brings the biggest water and wildflowers; midsummer is swimming-hole season and the pool below Middle Falls earns its crowds.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- None — free day use
- Dogs
- Leashed, allowed on the river trail
- Camping
- Fowlers Campground on the loop road, $15–30/night, May–October
- Warnings
- No cliff jumping — submerged boulders have broken people here. No lifeguards, ever.
Researched from USFS — Upper McCloud River Loop · USFS — Lower Falls Picnic Area. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Middle McCloud River Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
How tall is Middle McCloud River Falls?
Middle McCloud River Falls drops about 44 feet, in California.
Where is Middle McCloud River Falls?
Middle McCloud River Falls is a waterfall in California, at 41.24311, -122.00882.
Is Middle McCloud River Falls worth visiting?
Worth a detour — Plungeworthy rates it 6.9/10.
Gear for the trip
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