Shingle Falls
Shingle Falls
Nevada County, California
Description
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Shingle Falls is an impressive 47' waterfall along Dry Creek just upstream of the 29' Lower Shingle Falls. Shingle Falls by itself is pretty impressive with a nice veil at the bottom that spreads at an angle of almost 90 degrees to the upper section, but add in an additional 30' waterfall ~200' downstream from it and you've got something definitely worth the 5.0 mile round-trip hike to see. There is a very large pool below the "Upper" waterfall which could serve as a very quick cool down on hot summer days. There were definitely plenty of teenagers doing this near the trailhead. The Lower Falls are a little harder to see straight-on, but there are some boulders in front of it for access to sure-footed explorers. Despite its name, Dry Creek's flow is pretty consistent from autumn to mid-summer because it is fed by perennial springs. These waterfalls are also known as Fairy Falls and Dry Creek Falls, however I think that these names are pretty bland and non-unique. The name Shingle comes from a retired air force officer from nearby Beale Air Force Base and is the name that appears on the USGS topo map. Be on the lookout for wildflowers in the spring and turkeys. Hunters frequent the area between late-March and the end of April (I passed a turkey on my way to the trailhead and a hunter on my way to the falls).Location
Shingle Falls: 39.1154 N, 121.2425 W
Lower Shingle Falls: 39.1146 N, 121.2428 W
USGS Topo: Camp Far West & Wolf
Directions
From the CA-20/49 intersection in Grass Valley, follow CA-20 west for ~12.4 miles and turn left onto Chuck Yeager Road/Smartville Road. After ~1.0 mile stay left and after a further ~4.6 miles turn left onto Waldo Road. Follow this for ~1.9 miles to the Waldo Junction just after crossing the bridge over Dry Creek and turn left onto Spenceville Road. Stay left at the first intersection and follow the road for a total of ~2.3 miles to the large trailhead parking area just south of the intact bridge. Ignore all other roads near the waterfalls because these are either private or closed off to vehicles entirely. Walk north across the bridge and turn right to follow the dirt road to the east. Follow this road for ~1.2 miles as it turns to the northeast and then east again before it comes to a gated road ahead and a small sign pointing to the right for "Fairy Falls". According to the little sign the falls are 1.3 miles away. Turn right here (don't go straight to the gated road) and quickly come to a gate (to the south) that can be passed through. Continue walking south and then uphill to a cattle guard, where the trail/road turns to the southeast and heads downhill. Soon the trail comes to a three-way intersection (39.1191 N, 121.2547 W) and a sign. The sign says that the left trail leads to the "Upper" waterfall in 0.9 miles and the middle trail leads to the Lower Falls in 1.0 mile. The right trail is the longest (probably ~1.1 miles), widest, and has the most elevation gain/loss. The middle trail intersects the right trail just before it reaches the Lower Falls. The left trail is the most level and reaches the "Upper" Falls at the viewpoint above the falls where there is a long chain-linked fence along the cliff-side. If you follow the fence down, you get to some nice viewpoints (pretty steep and rocky). Between the "Upper" Falls and the Lower Falls are numerous trails.
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