The view of beautiful Whiskeytown Falls makes the 1.7 miles of steep hiking to get there well worth the effort. Because the Carr Fire left this trail pretty much untouched, there are plenty of tall conifers to keep you shaded while gaining 600 feet of elevation on the way to the falls. Once there, it’s very hard to leave. The microclimate created by the waterfall is both cooling and calming.
To find the Whiskeytown Falls trailhead, turn left off of Hwy 299 onto Crystal Creek Road and drive four miles to the parking area. Be sure to display a Whiskeytown Pass inside your vehicle, and carry plenty of water on this moderately strenuous hike.
Flowering or fruiting plants spotted by my good friends Bob Madison, Don Gilmer, and myself included purple foxglove, naked buckwheat, Lyall’s angelica, California Indian pink, snowberry, Sierra gooseberry, Shelton’s coyote mint, California harebell, Lemmon’s keckiella, white-flowered hawkweed, and woolly sunflower. –Chris Harvey
The following slideshow features flowering and fruiting plants seen along the trail to Whiskeytown Falls. All photos taken by Chris Harvey. Enjoy!
