Photo: Clyde Charles Brown · CC BY-SA 4.0Kings Canyon Falls
One for the list
Is it plungeworthy?
A waterfall on Kings Canyon Creek.
The details
- Watercourse
- Kings Canyon Creek
- Coordinates
- 39.15521, -119.81796
About Kings Canyon Falls
Kings Canyon Falls is a waterfall in Nevada, on Kings Canyon Creek.
Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.
Plungeworthy rates Kings Canyon Falls 3/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
A 25-foot spring-fed cascade five minutes from downtown Carson City — the easiest real waterfall visit in Nevada. Because it runs on springs rather than pure snowmelt, it keeps flowing even in dry years.
Scramble upstream past the main falls and the creek keeps stepping down in smaller cascades. A 4.4-mile loop through the canyon exists for hikers who want more than the quick out-and-back.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Kings Canyon Trailhead at the top of King Street — the street dead-ends into it, five minutes from downtown Carson City
- Parking
- Free at the trailhead
- Road
- Paved city street the whole way
- Hike
- 0.8 mi round trip, 154 ft of climb (Easy — a quarter mile to the falls)
When to go
Open year-round; strongest flow in spring, but the spring-fed creek runs all year.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- None — Carson City open space, free
- Dogs
- Prohibited — banned on the Waterfall Trail and North Kings Loop to protect Kings Creek, a source of the city's drinking water
- Hours
- Day use
- Camping
- Not permitted
Researched from Carson City — Dogs Prohibited at the Waterfall Trail · Visit Carson City — Kings Canyon Waterfall · Carson City — Kings Canyon Area Trails. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Kings Canyon 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
Where is Kings Canyon Falls?
Kings Canyon Falls is a waterfall in Nevada, at 39.15521, -119.81796.
Is Kings Canyon Falls worth visiting?
One for the list — Plungeworthy rates it 3/10.
Gear for the trip
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