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Codfish Creek Falls


Highlights:

beautiful easy walk along North Fork American River to 50 ft. waterfall
Near:Weimar, CA
Scenery:
Distance:2.8 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:160 ft
Hike Time:1.5 hours
Difficulty:Easy
Trail Condition:Well maintained trail
HikeType:Out and Back


Summary: The trail to Codfish Creek Falls is a beautiful and easy hike
along the North Fork American River. This is an interpretive trail with brochures available at the trailhead describing the ecology of the American River.
The trail follows the river for about 1.4 miles until you reach Codfish Creek, where it turns upstream a short distance to the waterfall. The waterfall is a pretty cascade of about 50 ft.
The waterfall gets the morning sun, and is shady in the afternoon. It is beautiful there in the morning, but for photographing the falls, it would be best to go in the afternoon.
There is also a trail leading to the top of the falls. Backtrack on the main trail from the falls a short distance, and you'll see the steep trail leading to the top. There are no other cascades above the main falls.

For more info, see my website.

Trailhead: Along Hwy #80, at Weimar (10 miles east of Auburn). Take the Weimar Cross Road exit, and turn right onto Ponderosa Way. Drive south for 5.8 miles until you reach the bridge crossing the American River. The trail heads downstream on the north side of the river.
The last 2.5 miles along the road (Ponderosa Way) leading to the trailhead, is a rough dirt road and very slow going. A 4x4 high-clearance vehicle is highly recommended. (Lat:39.00009 Lon:-120.94027)

Trail Guides for Codfish Creek Falls:
The American River. A Recreational Guide Book
by PARC  (PARC)

California Waterfalls
by Ann Marie Brown  (Foghorn Outdoors)

Best Seasons: Spring, Winter,
User Groups: Hikers, Dogs,
Ranger Contact: Auburn State Recreation Area, (530) 885-4527
Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Leon Turnbull, who has posted  17 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here.
Trail Reviews  Page 2 of 4   Submit your own review
Reviewed by Justin on 2/9/2008
This was our first hiking experience in California since moving to Sacramento from Utah where we had spectacular hiking opportunities.d We took our 8-month-old son in a backpack The trailhead was really easy to follow, but the dirt road was actually kind of scary to both go down and up again. The dirt road is really steep and very deep ruts. Too narrow for vehicles to pass going both directions. Because of this we saw only two other groups on the trail itself. The hike really does take 45 minutes to get to the falls and another 45 minutes to get out. The waterfall wasn't that impressive since your view of it is obscured by boulders at the bottom. But the trail on the way to the falls was gorgeous going along the river.

Reviewed by Viewer on 9/29/2007
great info

Reviewed by John on 5/28/2007
Pros: The dirt road to the trailhead was in better condition than I expected. A little ground clearance is recommended but four wheel drive is not required. We saw small economy cars make it in with minimal trouble. Easy family hike to the falls with beautiful views of the North Fork of the Americna River. The falls were nice in a quiet serene setting with nice shade, flowers and butterflies. Cons: Lots of poison oak. The trail is narrow and drops off steep on the river side in a few locations. Parking is limited and the locals like to hang out at the bridge. Go early, before 10 AM.

Reviewed by Wendy on 5/21/2007
On a sunny May Sunday, the falls were deserted from 2-3 PM (except for us!). Four people passed us on their way to the falls, but definitely not crowded. The waterfall was lovely and in a very peaceful setting, with many beautiful butterflies. Hike was hot, and the poison oak was over the trail in spots. (I would wear long pants even in hot weather). LOTS of wildflowers--great variety. We had no trouble getting down to the river without 4-wheel drive. It wasn't the most interesting hike, but the falls themselves are worth it.

Reviewed by darren on 4/30/2006
Great hike, falls were beautiful. Took two kids with us, age 4 and 8 and they enjoyed the falls, complained a bit about the length of the hike but they loved it as well. Lots of people at the bridge and we saw about 15 people at the falls that came and went during the time we were there, but it was never crowded. Maybe 5 others there at any one time, although we had a good chunk of time to ourselves. Bring lots of water!

Reviewed by Derek on 2/5/2006
Nice hike took the dog and baby out. We all loved it. Was a perfect day and the water fall was really flowing. There are a lot of sandy beaches to hang out on and have a picnic. Just make sure you watch your step.

Reviewed by TERI on 9/27/2005
Fun hike. Hike trail was a little narrow at places. Watch your footing. Loved that the hike was along the rushing creek. Lots of poison oak, beware. Trail is marked along the way. The falls was down to a trickle. Great place to get wet and picnic. No brochures, and they should post info on poison oak/ivy. Went on a Sunday and there were just a few families out for the hike.

Reviewed by Shane on 8/12/2005
Beautiful swimming hole at trailhead with 12' deep crystal clear water. The hike was nice, but the waterfall is pretty dried up in August. It is super secluded at the falls, but we were scared out by a growl from a mt. lion. Not a single person on the trail at 11 am, but people started showing up around 2. Excellent place to swim, not so good of a hiking trail however. Thursday 8-11-05


Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site.
Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Placer County Hiking, Placer County Trails, Placer County Hikes

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