Waterfall Hikes Near Folsom, CA

Folsom already lives on the American River, and its waterfalls follow that water uphill. The closest listing, Salmon Falls, is a historical name: the falls on the South Fork went under Folsom Lake when the dam was built, and the site only resurfaces when the reservoir drops very low, as it did in the 2014 drought. The nearest working waterfall hike is Hidden Falls in Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn, 4.5 miles out and back with 500 feet of gain, dogs allowed and parking reservations advised on weekends. Codfish Falls sits up the North Fork canyon in Auburn State Recreation Area, about 3.4 miles round trip, while Bassi Falls, the long drive east off Ice House Road, drops 109 feet over granite at the end of a 1.2-mile trail with swimming holes along the creek. Spring snowmelt and rain bring all of them to full flow.