Sisquoc Falls is a large plunge type waterfall located in the
San Rafael Mountains
The San Rafael Mountains are a mountain range in central Santa Barbara County, California, U.S., separating the drainages of the Santa Ynez River and the Santa Maria River. They are part of the Transverse Ranges system of Southern California ...
of
Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California, officially the County of Santa Barbara, is located in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa Maria.
Santa Barba ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, about east of
Santa Maria. It is located in the backcountry of the
San Rafael Wilderness
The San Rafael Wilderness is a wilderness area in the mountains of north central Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is north of the city of Santa Barbara and east of Santa Maria within the Los Padres National Forest. Formed in ...
on Falls Canyon Creek, a tributary of the
Sisquoc River
The Sisquoc River is a westward flowing river in northeastern Santa Barbara County, California. It is a tributary of the Santa Maria River, which is formed when the Sisquoc River meets the Cuyama River at the Santa Barbara County and San Luis Ob ...
.
One of the tallest waterfalls in Southern California, the falls stand at least high, dropping off the edge of a semi-circular natural amphitheatre into a long and deep pool. Many smaller cascades occur both above and below the main drop. Fed by a fairly large and high elevation watershed, the falls flow strongly between December and April but diminish to a trickle by late summer.
The falls are extremely difficult to access, requiring a one way hike from the closest road. In addition, the waterfall itself sits in the Sisquoc Condor Sanctuary, which is off limits to the public, so it can only be legally viewed from a distance.
See also
*
List of waterfalls of California
This is a list of waterfalls in California, ordered by county.
Northern California
Alameda County
* Murrietta Falls –
Alpine County
* Llewellyn Falls –
* Wolf Creek Falls –
Amador County
* Moore Creek Falls
Calaveras County
* North ...
External links
Sisquoc Fallsat the World Waterfall Database
The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
Waterfalls of California
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