Lost Creek Falls

One for the list

Is it plungeworthy?

—feet tall

A waterfall on Lost Creek.

Scale12/60

Documentation10/20

Character8/20

The details

Watercourse: Lost Creek
Coordinates: 36.15621, -115.49929

Get directions →

About Lost Creek Falls

Lost Creek Falls is a waterfall in Nevada, on Lost 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 Lost Creek 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 seasonal waterfall pouring over a ledge at the head of a short box canyon, partly fed by a reliable spring in a willow thicket — the easiest waterfall walk in Red Rock Canyon and a family favorite.

A second drop, Upper Lost Creek Falls, hides about 500 meters up-canyon behind serious cliff exposure. Leave it alone — the ledges above the lower falls have genuinely fatal fall potential.

Getting there

Trailhead: Lost Creek Trailhead, 0.2 mile down Willow Springs Road off the Scenic Drive
Parking: Trailhead lot
Road: Paved
Hike: 0.6 mi round trip (Easy — crosses Red Rock Wash into a small box canyon)
Heads up: Timed-entry reservation required for the Scenic Drive Oct 1–May 31.

When to go

Winter, spring, and right after storms — the spring keeps the willow thicket wet, but the falls itself is seasonal.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Red Rock Canyon NCA entrance fee: $20 per vehicle; timed-entry reservation Oct 1–May 31
Dogs: On leash, 6 feet max
Hours: Scenic Drive hours vary seasonally, roughly 6 a.m.–5 p.m. winter to 6 a.m.–8 p.m. summer
Camping: None — Ricardo Campground only, NCA-wide
Warnings: Stay off the exposed ledges above the falls. Flash-flood risk during storms.

Researched from Bird and Hike — Lower Lost Creek Falls · Bird and Hike — Upper Lost Creek Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Lost Creek 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.