8   Bowman Lake Falls

Top section of falls

 Location: Emigrant Gap, Bowman Lake, Tahoe National Forest, Nevada County
Height: ~80 ft.
Access:   hike   dog  
Distance: 0.6 miles (RT)
Elevation: 5600 ft. (+ 100 ft.)
Season: Jun-Sep
Difficulty: easy hike
Lat/Long:39.45286, -120.60837
Directions:From Auburn, drive east on I-80 for 40 miles to the Hwy 20 exit to Nevada City. Drive west on Hwy 20 for 4.3 miles to Bowman Lake Rd (Road 18). Turn right and drive about 15 miles to Bowman Lake. The last 5 miles is on a dirt road. At the end of Road 18, continue on the very rough dirt road for 3.2 miles to the east end of the lake, where Jackson Creek dumps into Bowman Lake, just past the campground. Park anywhere along here. High clearance vehicle are highly recommended.   Click to view map of Bowman Lake Falls hike

Bowman Lake Falls, aka Canyon Creek Falls, aka Sawmill Falls, is a spectacular 80 ft. cascade falling along Canyon Creek, where the creek dumps into pretty Bowman Lake.

It is a very long and slow drive to Bowman Lake and the waterfall, too far really for a day trip. We do highly recommend camping at Bowman Lake, an incredibly beautiful lake high in the Sierras, and far enough away from civilization. It is a fairly popular place to camp, but not over-crowded.

To reach Bowman Lake Falls, you need to cross Jackson Creek at the end of the lake, then follow faint trails through the forest, heading due south until you reach Canyon Creek. It is easier and quicker to head directly south to the waterfall, rather than following around the lake shore.

Once you reach the falls, scramble up the rocks along the creek, to get a closer look at the bottom 40 ft. or so of the cascade. The upper 40 ft. is hidden from view, as the creek makes a sharp turn around the granite rock. It is not too difficult to scramble to the top of the falls, where you'll be able to see the upper portion of Bowman Lake Falls.

Zoom out on map to see all nearby waterfalls:

Other waterfalls nearby:
Faucherie Lake Falls 2.65 miles
Split Falls 6.50 miles
Fordyce Falls 6.50 miles
Killer Fang Falls 8.43 miles
Loves Falls 8.81 miles
Rattlesnake Creek Falls 9.84 miles
Big Springs Falls 9.97 miles
Bear River Falls 10.50 miles
Scotchman Creek Falls 11.54 miles
Webber Falls 11.75 miles
North Fork Falls 13.16 miles
Pauley Falls 13.87 miles
Big Valley Falls 15.98 miles
Big Granite Creek Falls 16.32 miles
Beacroft Falls 16.66 miles
South Deer Creek Falls 16.70 miles
East Snow Mountain Falls 16.91 miles
Little Curtain Falls 17.29 miles
Palisade Creek Falls 17.41 miles
Palisade Falls 17.53 miles
Sailor Canyon Falls 17.59 miles
Frazier Falls 17.61 miles
Petroglyph Falls 17.65 miles
Heath Falls 17.75 miles
Halsey Falls 17.98 miles
New York Canyon Falls 18.12 miles
Wabena Falls 18.12 miles
Humbug Creek Falls 18.21 miles
Fern Falls 18.29 miles
Wabena Creek Falls 18.83 miles
Wildcat Canyon Falls 19.29 miles
Little Jamison Falls 19.79 miles
Sugarloaf Falls 20.94 miles
Fiddle Creek Falls 21.01 miles
Yuba River Falls 21.89 miles
Canyon Creek Falls 23.89 miles
Grouse Falls 24.80 miles
South Branch Grouse Creek Falls 24.87 miles
Rush Creek Falls 28.85 miles
Stevens Creek Falls 29.17 miles

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