6 Best Cascades in California 2026

Photo of Royal Arch Cascade in Mariposa County, California
Photo via Google: Royal Arch Cascade, California

The best cascades in California are Royal Arch Cascade, Cascade Falls, Bunnell Cascade and 3 more. Named cascades: water stepping down a series of ledges rather than falling in one drop.

See every waterfall on the California waterfalls page or the California waterfall map, or browse by town: Yosemite Valley, Bridgeport.

How we picked: We took the 6 publicly accessible California features officially named as cascades in the USGS Geographic Names Information System and ranked them by weighted Google rating, then by how well documented they are.

  1. 1. Royal Arch Cascade

    5.0 1 reviews Yosemite Valley, CA Mariposa County

    Royal Arch Cascade near Yosemite Valley takes the top spot, rated 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review.

    Mariposa County, CA (GPS 37.7496, -119.5707)

    Recorded history

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    Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 1 Google review. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: In Yosemite National Park, on Royal Arch Creek and the north wall of Yosemite Valley above the Merced River at mile marker 128.5. (US-T121). The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 0.7 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Lehamite Falls, about 1.0 miles to the northwest.

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  2. 2. Cascade Falls

    2.0 1 reviews Bridgeport, CA Mono County

    Cascade Falls, near Bridgeport, is next up, rated 2.0 out of 5 from 1 review.

    Mono County, CA 93517 (GPS 38.2037, -119.5587)

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    Visitors rate it 2.0 stars across 1 Google review. The nearest town is Bridgeport, about 18 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Leavitt Falls, about 8.0 miles to the north.

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  3. 3. Bunnell Cascade

    Yosemite Valley, CA Mariposa County

    Bunnell Cascade is a named waterfall about 5.8 miles east of Yosemite Valley. USGS notes: In Yosemite National Park, on the northwest slope of Bunnell Point at the head of Lost Valley. (US-T121)

    Mariposa County, CA (GPS 37.7452, -119.4718)

    Recorded history

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    It has no Google rating yet, so expect few other visitors. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: In Yosemite National Park, on the northwest slope of Bunnell Point at the head of Lost Valley. (US-T121). The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 5.8 miles to the west. The nearest other named waterfall is Pywiack Cascade, about 3.0 miles to the north.

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  4. 4. Pywiack Cascade

    Yosemite Valley, CA Mariposa County

    Pywiack Cascade is a named waterfall about 5.8 miles northeast of Yosemite Valley. USGS notes: In Yosemite National Park, on the Tenaya Creek in Tenaya Canyon, 2.1 km (1.3 mi) north of Clouds Rest, 2.6 km (1.6 mi) west-southwest of Mount Watkins, and 2.7 km (1.7 mi) south of Olmstead Peak. (US-T121)

    Mariposa County, CA (GPS 37.7871, -119.4888)

    Recorded history

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    It has no Google rating yet, so expect few other visitors. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: In Yosemite National Park, on the Tenaya Creek in Tenaya Canyon, 2.1 km (1.3 mi) north of Clouds Rest, 2.6 km (1.6 mi) west-southwest of Mount Watkins, and 2.7 km (1.7 mi) south of Olmstead Peak. (US-T121). The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 5.8 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Snow Creek Falls, about 2.9 miles to the southwest.

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  5. 5. The Cascades

    Yosemite Valley, CA Mariposa County

    The Cascades is a named waterfall about 7.4 miles west of Yosemite Valley. USGS notes: In Yosemite National Park, 0.48 km (0.3 mi) north of the mouth of Cascade Creek on the Merced River and 1.4 km (0.9 mi) north of Elephant Rock. (US-T121)

    Mariposa County, CA (GPS 37.7269, -119.7129)

    Recorded history

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    It has no Google rating yet, so expect few other visitors. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: In Yosemite National Park, 0.48 km (0.3 mi) north of the mouth of Cascade Creek on the Merced River and 1.4 km (0.9 mi) north of Elephant Rock. (US-T121). The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 7.4 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Wildcat Falls, about 0.3 miles to the southwest.

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  6. 6. White Cascade

    Yosemite Valley, CA Tuolumne County

    White Cascade is a named waterfall about 14 miles northeast of Yosemite Valley. USGS notes: Along the Tuolumne River, 3.1 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Wildcat Point and 0.96 km (0.6 mi) northeast of McGee Lake. (US-T121)

    Tuolumne County, CA (GPS 37.9085, -119.4196)

    Recorded history

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    It has no Google rating yet, so expect few other visitors. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Along the Tuolumne River, 3.1 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Wildcat Point and 0.96 km (0.6 mi) northeast of McGee Lake. (US-T121). The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 14 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Tuolumne Falls, about 0.2 miles to the southeast.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best cascade in California?

Royal Arch Cascade tops our 2026 list. Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 1 Google review. It is near Yosemite Valley in Mariposa County.

How many cascades are in California?

6 of the 189 waterfalls we track in California qualify. This page ranks the top 6; every waterfall in the state is on the California waterfalls page.

How was this list made?

We took the 6 publicly accessible California features officially named as cascades in the USGS Geographic Names Information System and ranked them by weighted Google rating, then by how well documented they are.

Which counties are they in?

The 6 on this list are in Mariposa County, Mono County, and Tuolumne County.