Cascade Falls

Don’t go chasing waterfalls… Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to. remember that song?
Since El nino is around still, I figure why not find a waterfall. Cascade Falls was next on my list. The 2-​mile round trip hike along the High Water Trail undulated on some minor hills with some minor dropoff exposure and some minor rock hopping on tributary streams. A simple hike but prepared for some muddy ground and some wet socks. The hike itself is not all flat, there are parts you will need to go up hill but anyone can do it! Stay toward the right of your path and you will hit the waterfall at the top.
FYI. do not use Google Maps for directions, it took me 10mins off from the drive onto some other hike. LOL USE Unilocal address.

The Falls are great and the hike in is fun and not too rugged. Take the hike!
CAUTION: FAIRFAX POLICE TICKET PARKED CARS ON CASCADE AT ENTRY!
Traveled here from the East Bay as a family to take a nice Saturday hike and came back to find that the Fairfax Police had placed a ticket on our car, even though we were parked off the road. Their pictures were taken and showed pavement under our one tire, but it was the neightbors driveway apron, not the road. I appealed and no use — Can’t fight City Hall. Called their Town Manager and he was less than interested. I would suggest you find other hikes in the area and other that seek visitors, rather than penalize them to make $. We have lived in the Bay Area over 25 years, frequent Pt Reyes often, I have never had a ticket in 45+ years of driving in Georgia, Texas, Ohio, RI, NY, etc. but get one on a rural road, off the road in Fairfax CA! Stay Away and save your money! Try Olema or Pt Reyes Station. They appreciated visitors!

Great place to take a nice walk! Lots of shade and was perfect for an hour hike total… Be careful of the poison oak close to the trails though! Parking was a piece of cake as well!

The best trail close to home

My Dad was in town for a three week visit, with a break in the storms we made the short hike from the parking lot to cascade falls.
a little hard to get to, (way past fairfax on the fairfax bolinas road) and tricky to park the car.
The water was really flowing, this is a great waterfall for a family visit, Best just before after or during a big rain!

This lovely serene calming spot is among Mill Valley’s many hidden treasures. To get there take Cascade Dr. in Mill Valley just past the last intersection with Throckmorton Ave. to a small dirt parking lot with a wooden sign saying: Cascade Falls. There is a place for a few cars to park there. The walk along a nice wooded path to the falls is no more than ¼ mile with a mild incline. At the falls there is a nice wooden bench to take a rest or simply be. It feels like a holy place. My fairy goddaughter got married there and it was absolutely magical.

Warning! Do not eat a meal before driving to this place. The road you take to Cascade Falls trail (if you go through Fairfax) is long and winding. I got so dizzy, and nauseous that I couldn’t do all of the hike.
The great thing is that you see water falls pretty quickly, but it’s all up hill. I would also not go with someone who likes to speed hike.
Take some Dramamine just in case and make sure you’re not tired, because the up hill hike is strenuous. This is coming from someone who works out at the gym 4−5x/week. The gym is easy compared to this hike!

A little easy… the first part of the hike is a steady incline for a bit, but hardly a trail and more of a fire road. It dips down and you are basically there. Quite simple, but great for non-​healthy types who visit and want to see some of the nature, etc. Stunning views of a snowy Tam and Mt. Diablo aided us quite a bit. There are hundreds of hikes in this mecca of outdoor activities… save this one for people who aren’t trying hard. Great hike tho.

Ez drive
Ez hike
Very pretty in the spring.
Cascading creek.
No parking… you have to hike to your hike.

We went here on Thanksgiving morning. It was rather empty, other than the bicyclists who apparently had a thanksgiving biking event. Anyway, it was very beautiful hike with colorful leaves falling covering the ground along San Anselmo river. The waterfall itself. only trickling due to limited amount of rain we got. Follow the trail on the right (east) side of the Creek to a bridge over Cascade Creek about a half-​mile from the trail. Cross the bridge and follow Cascade Creek up to the falls. Small waterfall, only 30 ft. Uninteresting but the way there. was almost magical.

This is a very short hike to a nice waterfall. It is dog friendly too! It is a good date place. It would be really romantic to hike to the falls and have a picnic.

Cascade can be somewhat confusing. There are two sets of waterfalls that can be reached at each split on the fork in the road. One set is the lazy man’s hike (which is the shortest hike I’ve ever traveled to see a waterfall, the other is a bit longer to get to ~15 minutes). Neither proved to be that great to look at. The larger of the two waterfalls is about 20 feet which is nothing special after you’ve seen all the best waterfalls in Marin like I have before this one.
There are plenty of better hikes and certainly plenty of better waterfalls in Marin — call me a little snobbish but I know my hikes and waterfalls. Getting here can be a pain in the butt as you’ll have to start this hike from a residential street that has prohibited parking at the end of the street. This is a very amateurish hike that can be perfect if you’re a total beginner or looking for something quick and easy.
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For more hiking recommendations:

Take Cascade Drive all the way until you see a sign for Cascade Falls, and prepare for a pleasant stroll! This is a great 20 minute walk that includes a bridge, a nice waterfall (bench included), and a walk back to where you parked. Perfect for a light walk with a date :)