Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls

El Dorado County, California

Description

A short, level trail leads to a beautiful waterfall off the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness. Sometimes referred to as White Cloud Falls (according to the World Waterfall Database), this waterfall is most commonly known as Cascade Falls since it falls into Cascade Lake on Cascade Creek. The view from the brink of this waterfall is fantastic with the calm Cascade Lake in foreground and gorgeous Lake Tahoe in the background. Unfortunately, like so much of the land around Lake Tahoe, the land around the shore of Cascade Lake is exclusively private. However, the top of the waterfall is not included within the private property. Because the trail to the waterfall is so short, don't expect to be in solitude on a summer afternoon. Therefore, plan on doing this hike earlier in the day. However, compared to the tourist trap known as South Lake Tahoe, this will seem like you are miles into the wilderness. There is also a view of the falls through the trees along the trail.Location

Cascade Falls: 38.9349 N, 120.1009 W

USGS Topo: Emerald Bay

Directions

The trailhead for this waterfall is located at the southern end of the Bayview Campground near Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. The turn for the campground is off of CA-89, ~7.6 miles west of the CA-89/CA-50 intersection in South Lake Tahoe. A sign at the trailhead points left to Cascade Falls, right to "Desolation" (Granite Lake, Maggies Peak, and beyond). The trail begins in the pine and fir forest surrounding the campground, but quickly turns rocky as it skirts the cliffs above Cascade Lake. Along the way, there are great views of the waterfall, Cascade Lake, Lake Tahoe, and the rest of the surroundings. After ~0.7 miles the trail reaches the top of Cascade Falls (only ~150' of overall gain & ~190' of loss). Creek crossings are possible, but can be dangerous especially in the spring.