8   Sardine Falls

Sardine Falls in early spring

 Location: Sonora Pass, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Mono County
Height: ~70 ft.
Access:   hike   dog  
Distance: 2 miles (RT)
Elevation: 8800 ft. (+300 ft.)
Season: Jun-Sep
Difficulty: easy hike
Lat/Long:38.30861, -119.62139
Directions:From the junction of Hwy 395 and Hwy 108 (about 14 miles south of Walker), turn west onto Hwy 108. Drive 12.3 miles to Sardine Meadow and park along side of road. Sardine Meadow is also 2.5 miles east of Sonora Pass summit.   Click to view map of Sardine Falls hike

In the spring, Sardine Falls is a raging torrent of water roaring down MacKay Creek in two drops totalling about 70 ft. in height. But do not count this waterfall out in the late summer. Unlike most waterfalls in California, Sardine Falls (and its neighbour, Leavitt Falls) are outstanding long after the snow has melted. The upper 50 ft. section is the main cascade seen in the above photos, but MacKay Creek continues to cascade down another 20 ft. or so before leveling out.

There is no official trail to Sardine Falls, but it is very easy to get to. You can see the waterfall from the highway as you begin your walk across Sardine Meadow. You need to cross Sardine Creek (which is interestingly signed as Soda Creek where it crosses the highway). When we came back here in June, we had to wade across it, and it was cold! Then, make your way over to MacKay Creek and follow it all the way to the falls. You should eventually join up with a well-traveled trail, leading right to Sardine Falls. The hike is a short and mostly flat walk, and the scenery is gorgeous.

Once you reach the waterfall, there are many great vantage points. My favourite is a big huge rock right in front of the falls, but you need to rock-hop through the creek to get to it, which may be impossible in the spring. It is also not too difficult to get to the top of the waterfall.

Zoom out on map to see all nearby waterfalls:

Other waterfalls nearby:
Sardine Creek Falls 1.32 miles
Blue Canyon Falls 2.25 miles
Deadman Creek Falls 2.83 miles
Leavitt Falls 3.25 miles
Silver Falls 4.65 miles
Wolf Creek Falls 15.47 miles
Niagara Creek Falls 16.95 miles
Horse Creek Falls 17.35 miles
Upper Horse Creek Falls 17.75 miles
Wapama Falls 24.92 miles
Tueeulala Falls 25.24 miles
Lundy Canyon Falls 27.40 miles
Hot Springs Creek Falls 29.83 miles

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