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9.5 Berry Creek Falls
Berry Creek Falls is an elegant and lovely 70 ft. drop along Berry Creek in the Big Basin Redwoods State Park. It is a beautiful (but difficult) hike through an incredible forest of old, huge redwood trees, and you are rewarded at the end with a super waterfall.
Berry Creek Falls is arguably the best waterfall on the California Coast. The other two in the running would be McWay Falls and Alamere Falls. The latter two drop into the ocean, but McWay Falls offers only a long distance view (but incredibly scenic), and Alamere Falls is not as striking in appearance. At Berry Creek Falls, you are rewarded with an up close view and the waterfall is incredibly scenic.
The hike to Berry Creek Falls begins at the parking lot across from the park headquarters. Cut across the Redwood Trail to find the Skyline to Sea Trail. This trail climbs 400 ft. in a half-mile to a trail junction. Continue straight, staying on the Skyline to Sea Trail and follow this all the way down to Berry Creek Falls, losing about 1000 ft. in elevation in 3.5 miles. The hike to the falls is easy (as it is mostly all downhill) and beautiful. But the return trip is a doozy.
After enjoying the waterfall at the viewing platform, you will need to consider what to do next. You should continue up the trail above Berry Creek Falls to Silver Falls and Golden Cascade, which are about 0.7 miles up the hill. Then you can either return to the park headquarters the way you came, or else return on the Sunset Trail, making a loop hike. Either way is strenuous. If you return the way you came, it is uphill all the way, gaining that 1000 ft. back again. The Sunset Trail is a lot of up and down hiking, so it is easier in a sense, but it is also about 1 mile longer. We went back on the Sunset Trail and found it to be longer and more difficult than anticipated. But the other way we think would probably be just as strenuous.
The easiest way to get to Berry Creek Falls, actually, is by mountain bike. You can drive to Big Basin Redwoods State Park / Rancho del Oso (at Waddell Beach), located about 18 miles north of Santa Cruz on Hwy #1. Bike up the trail along Waddell Creek from the Rancho del Oso trailhead for 5.2 miles. Then you have to lock up your bike in the provided bike rack and walk the remaining 0.7 miles to the falls. Taking a bike makes the trip to Berry Creek Falls a lot easier.
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Other waterfalls nearby:
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