MILL CREEK TRAILHEAD
TRIP 4 Whiskeytown Falls
A rediscovered gem has become the waterfall to see at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
Trip Type:
Day hike
Distance & Configuration:
3.4-mile out-and-back
Elevation Change:
1,040' (average 612'/mile)
Difficulty:
Moderate–strenuous
Season:
Year-round; best April–early June and late September–November
Maps:
USGS French Gulch and Shasta Bally
Management:
Whiskeytown NRA, 530-242-3400, nps.gov/whis
Nearest Campground:
Oak Bottom
In this day and age, forgetting about a significant waterfall is hard to imagine, but that’s exactly what occurred with Whiskeytown Falls. In 2004, park biologist Russ Weatherbee rediscovered the falls, not as he stumbled across the dramatic cascade in the field but as he was examining some aerial photos in his office. Subsequently, Weatherbee and a fellow National Park Service geologist, Brian Rasmussen, hiked to the falls and confirmed what had been seen on the photos.
Although the distance is fairly short at 1.7 miles, after the short stretch down to the crossing of the west fork of Crystal Creek, the well-used James K. Carr Trail to Whiskeytown Falls climbs quite steeply. The stiff climb passes through a forest that was selectively logged in the 1950s, succeeded by a mixed, second-growth forest of oaks and evergreens. During weekends in spring, when the waterfall puts on a most dramatic display, you may notice a high number of tourists lumbering up the trail or catching their breath on one of the many park benches sporadically placed along the way. Nearing the falls, the trail enters a narrow canyon and climbs closely along the creek for the final quarter mile. The labor of the stiff ascent is well rewarded once you reach the base of the falls, where you’ll be treated to a fine view of Whiskeytown Fall’s watery splendor. A stone stairway lined with handrails leads alongside the falls for an even closer view.
Whiskeytown Falls
GPS COORDINATES N40° 38.304' W122° 40.558'
DIRECTIONS Head west from Redding on CA 299 for 8 miles and then turn left (southwest) onto Kennedy Memorial Drive. The visitor center immediately on the right is the place to obtain current information and purchase a daily, weekly, or annual pass that is required to park at any NRA trailhead. With pass in hand, return to CA 299, turn left, and continue westbound 8 more miles to a left-hand turn onto Crystal Creek Road, which is about 0.25 mile past the turnoff for Tower House Historic District. Drive up Crystal Creek Road past junctions to the Crystal Creek Picnic Area and Crystal Creek Campground to a gravel parking area, 3.75 miles from CA 299. The trailhead is equipped with portable toilets and trash and recycling bins. On the way back you may want to stop at Crystal Creek Picnic Area for the superb view of Crystal Creek Falls.
Description
The trail begins by following alongside a split-rail fence on a moderate descent across a mostly open slope that eventually leads into a mixed evergreen and deciduous forest on the way down to a crossing of the west fork of Crystal Creek via some well-placed beams. A short steep climb heads away from the creek and up to the top of a rise, where the grade momentarily eases. Nearby, the first of many park benches along the way offers winded tourists the opportunity to sit down and catch their breath. From the rise, a more moderate climb leads to a junction with the much fainter tread of the Mill Creek Trail on your left.
Veer right at the junction and make a moderately steep to very steep climb away from the east fork of Crystal Creek up Steep Ravine, a steep, dry, and dusty gully that fortunately is well shaded by the canopy of a mixed forest. Old roads periodically fork away from the trail, but your well-traveled route is obvious at each junction. At the top of the ravine, the trail swings around a hillside and draws closer to the creek, which noisily tumbles in the canyon below. A more moderate ascent leads to Trail Camp, complete with picnic tables, a bear box, and a tent platform.
Above the camp, you cross over the creek on a wood bridge and then climb more steeply again, headed up the narrowing canyon toward the base of Whiskeytown Falls, where another well-placed bench provides a fine place from which to watch the falls tumble into a shallow pool. To reach the upper viewpoint, clamber up a series of rock steps bordered by a steel handrail a short distance to where the multiple upper cascades of the upper falls are strikingly visible. According to the NPS guide for the James K. Carr Trail, the first vista point is known as Photographer’s Ledge and the upper vista point is known as Artist’s Ledge. Whether you’re a photographer, an artist, or simply an average hiker, you are likely to be very impressed with the scenic display put on by Whiskeytown Falls.
The Story Behind the Missing Waterfall
So how does one lose track of such a significant physical feature as a waterfall? Before the creation of the 42,000-acre Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, the land was in private hands and the location of the falls was known only to a small number of loggers. Rangers became aware of the waterfall in 1967, but the National Park Service lacked the funds in those days to build a trail and pay for staffing. As time wore on, rangers with knowledge of the falls either passed away or were reassigned to other locations. Park biologist Russ Weatherbee’s rediscovery quickly led to the renovation of an old logging road into the James K. Carr Trail, named for the Undersecretary of the Interior who championed national park status for the Whiskeytown area. The falls have become one of the area’s most popular attractions.
A tree rises from among the shrubs at the edge of the woods.
chapter 2
Trips in Trinity Alps Wilderness
The Trinity Alps region of the Klamath Mountains boasts some of the most diverse topography in California, ranging from coastal forests below 2,000 feet to glacier-clad, 9,002-foot Thompson Peak. One of the largest roadless tracts in the state, the area includes the headwaters of two of Northern California’s most prominent rivers, the Salmon and Trinity. Far away from any major population centers, the 515,000-acre Trinity Alps Wilderness also offers recreational enthusiasts the opportunity for plenty of solitude. While some of the lower-elevation trails make for excellent fall and spring hiking, most of the wilderness is best visited during the summer months.
With more than 500 miles of trails, the Trinity Alps Wilderness is a hiker’s and backpacker’s bonanza. Trips in this chapter run the gamut from forested walks to alpine heights and everything in between. With 34 described trips, the Trinity Alps makes up the bulk of this guide, including a fine sampling of both day hikes and multiday backpacks.
