Mossbrae Falls is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

flowing into the

Sacramento River The Sacramento River ( es, Río Sacramento) is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento� ...

, in the

Shasta Cascade The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, including far northern parts of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. History In ...

area in

Dunsmuir, California Dunsmuir is a city in Siskiyou County, northern California. It is on the upper Sacramento River in the Trinity Mountains. Its population is 1,707 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,650 from the 2010 census. Dunsmuir is currently a hub for tourism ...

. The falls are located just south of the lower portion of Shasta Springs. Access to the falls is via a mile-long illegal hiking

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

on the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

right of way; the City of Dunsmuir is seeking to finish a safe hiking trail that will include a bridge over the river. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took President George H.W. Bush to see the falls.

Description

Approximately in height and wide, the falls are fed by springs that course down the canyon wall, and into the Sacramento River, creating the effect of many waterfall streams, two of them especially large, falling into the river. The entire course of the falls is longer than ; however the upper cascades cannot be observed through flora that covers the mountainside. The bottom is a straight plunge into the river.

Etymology

The waterfall is named for the profusion of moss on the hillside at the site, together with ''brae'', which means "a steep bank or hillside" in

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and Scots.

Access

The trail to the falls from Dunsmuir requires trespassing beside the Union Pacific railroad tracks for , before the waterfall appears on the right immediately before a railroad trestle that crosses the river. The railroad line runs in a

cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (ea ...

and in places there is little space to avoid a train; two hikers were injured by trains in 2011 and 2019. The city of Dunsmuir closed the illegal parking area in the Shasta Retreat neighborhood in 2011, and has since built most of an extension to the Hedge Creek Falls trail that when finished will cross the river on a pedestrian bridge from the falls, but requires Union Pacific's permission to complete it. Alternate means of access are through Mineral Spring Trail and Angel Trail in Shasta Springs, a private property owned by

Saint Germain Foundation The Saint Germain Movement is a religious organization, headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, with a major facility just north of Dunsmuir, California, in the buildings and property of the Shasta Springs retreat. There is als ...

, and white water rafting from Box Canyon Dam.

Photos

File:Mossbrea_Falls_All_Sections.JPG, All sections of the waterfalls File:Falls_in_the_Vicinity.JPG, Other waterfalls in the vicinity

References

{{reflist Mount Shasta Landforms of Siskiyou County, California Waterfalls of California Tourist attractions in Siskiyou County, California