A Tale of Three Falls

What does a Lassen Volcanic National Park ranger do on her day off? Spends it in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Namely, Shanda Ochs headed to McCloud Falls to hike to the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls of the McCloud River.

If you’re Goldilocks and have a taste for waterfalls, the biggest of them is the middle one, the smallest is the upper one, and the one below is just right.

Waterfalls are often referred to in the plural (falls), but that isn’t always correct. Perhaps we do this because Yosemite Falls and Niagara Falls are so well known.

In fact, a waterfall is a single drop, such as McCloud Middle Fall (seen above). When a waterfall ends with “falls” as in Niagara Falls or Yosemite Falls, it refers to the entirety of waterfalls. In Yosemite’s case, there is an Upper Yosemite Fall, the middle cascades, and Lower Yosemite Fall.

Cascades are created when a stream runs over a series of drops, such as seen beside the Cascade Trail at Spanish Creek in Plumas County.

The McCloud Falls Trail is 1.5 miles one way. Along the path, you’ll see black oak, ninebark, alder, dogwood and by the river, Indian rhubarb that’s just past prime.

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Shanda encourages readers to visit Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic for stunning views of Lassen Peak reflected in the lake that is ringed with bright color, but hurry. Lassen Volcanic NP is nearing Past Peak.

• McCloud Falls, McCloud (3,271′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!