DATE: Monday, May 4th, 2020
DISTANCE: 15.6km / 9.7 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 671m / 2201 ft.
TIME: 4:36
PLUMAS NATIONAL FOREST
FEATHER FALLS SCENIC AREA
BUTTE COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: Mercyful Fate: Satan's Fall
PHOTO ALBUM
MAP
Feather Falls is a majestic waterfall on the Fall River, just before it's confluence with the middle fork of the Feather River, it is rumored to be the tallest waterfall in California outside of Yosemite. I don't recall how Feather Falls came to my attention, but it had been on my list for awhile, and I knew I couldn't miss it if I was in the area. And now I was in the area, camping in Berry Creek.
The falls is accessed by driving up out of the town of Oroville, past the village of Feather Falls, to a signed, maintained parking lot, which has bathrooms and a few campsites. From the parking lot it is about a 4.8 mile hike to the waterfall. There are two alternate choices of trail , the shorter, steeper one, and the longer, less steep one. So we chose the short one to get there. This trail led through some excellent pine forest, and over the cool waters of Frey Creek, which could have been a destination unto it's self. But we had bigger water features in mind that day. As we continued north, views opened up of the towering granite batholith, Bald Rock Dome, lording over the middle fork Feather River Canyon. This trail, the western one of the two, reached the junction with the alternate, parallel, eastern trail, and then we were getting close to the falls. The trail goes up an incline, and around the end of a ridge. First you hear it, and then finally, you see it!
Over the north side of the ridge, there's a downgrade on the trail, and you have a choice of going to the civilized, national park style observation platform, or a more rustic trail that goes to the waterfall precipice. We hit the deck first, which is adorned with benches and informational signs, and is perfectly positioned to have an excellent view of the falls and the canyon into which it plunges. Moving on, to the top of the falls, where the rushing river raced to it leap over the edge. There some groups of people hanging out right along here, so we continued upstream, to seclusion, and a picnic was had. There are at least two good campsites in that area if you ever feel like packing in. On the way back out, I made my way down to the very top of the falls, and took made some vertigo inducing videos. The longer, less steep trail was used on the way back, but I barely noticed the difference in grade. It crossed another section of Frey Creek, which had a little waterfall of it's own, a small one for dessert, if you will. Excellent waterfall hike, highly recommended.
FURTHER READING
•Norcal Hiker: Good description and photographs
•World Of Waterfalls: Detailed description of the whole hike
•California Waterfalls: Ann Marie Brown: Foghorn Outdoors: pp 100-104
No comments:
Post a Comment