A short hike to a small-sized waterfall and the trails adjoining nearby creeks in Cascade Canyon. Parking at the trail head is very tight.

Location: Cascade Canyon Open Space Preserve

» Official Trail Map: Good map showing various hiking trails. Mileage information of trail segments is missing.

To Cascade Falls: From the park entrance on Cascade Drive, walk along High Water Trail, which stays to the right of a creek. Soon, it reaches a junction with Cut Trail, then a junction with Middle Fire Road — some of these junctions are unmarked. Stay left at both junctions. Immediately after the junction with Middle Fire Road, there is a bridge over a creek. Cross the bridge, then turn right along a trail that meanders to the left of a creek. Soon, this trail ends in Cascade Falls.

San Anselmo Creek Trail: From Cascade Falls, retrace your steps back to the bridge. Instead of crossing the bridge, continue along San Anselmo Creek Trail, which is a single track hiking trail to the left of Cascade Canyon Road, a fire road. Soon after rains, when creeks are full of water, this is a pleasant side trip that adds half a mile to the overall route. In 0.2 miles, San Anselmo Trail comes to an end. Retrace your steps back to the bridge over the creek.

Carey Camp Loop Trail: From the bridge at the intersection of Cascade Road and Cascade Falls Trail, start walking back. In 0.4 miles, cross the creek (there is no bridge over the creek, so prepare to get your feet wet). then walk all along Carey Camp Loop Trail to return to a different creek crossing (again, there is no bridge). After the second creek crossing, continue on Highwater Trail to return to Cascade Drive trailhead.

Location: near 690 Cascade Drive, Fairfax, CA 94930 . Parking area is not visible in Google Maps.

Directions: In Fairfax, drive along Bolinas Road going west for 0.4 miles, turn right onto Cascade Drive. Drive for 1.5 miles to reach the park entrance. Parking is challenging to find along Cascade Drive. There are very few parking spots for visitors. If parking is not available along Cascade Drive, you may try parking along Canyon Road in Fairfax. There is a park entrance into Cascade Canyon from Canyon Road as well.

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: April 2012)

Capacity: Very few parking spots for visitors along Cascade Drive.

Latitude: 37.977949     Longitude: -122.613403