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Cataract Falls Loop from Rock Spring
Hiking Trail
Hard
5.59 mi
1,208 ft
Lesser-traveled loop with spectacular and varied scenery—lush forest, open hillsides, and a cascading creek.
Cataract Creek is a very popular hiking destination near Mount Tamalpais. This loop includes some of the waterfalls on the creek, but also utilizes lesser-traveled trails to explore more of the mountain’s slopes. It begins from Rock Springs Trailhead which, unlike most trailheads in the area, this one has plentiful parking.
You’ll encounter many different forest types over the course of this loop. Tall stands of second-growth redwoods in the canyons, leafy maples and an understory of ferns near the creek, and oak woodlands on the hillsides. There’s also mountain meadows that grant wide-open views on clear days.
First you’ll come to the creekside picnic area at Laurel Dell and Cataract Falls just beyond. Next comes a scenic traverse of a hillside meadow on High Marsh Trail, then meandering through young redwood groves. You’ll find more flowing water in Swede George Creek, then climb an open ridgeline and come to another picnic area at Potrero Meadow. A patchwork of forest and field, with intermittent hilltop views, leads back to the starting point via Benstein Trail.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
Cataract Creek is a very popular hiking destination near Mount Tamalpais. This loop includes some of the waterfalls on the creek, but also utilizes lesser-traveled trails to explore more of the mountain’s slopes. It begins from Rock Springs Trailhead which, unlike most trailheads in the area, this one has plentiful parking.
You’ll encounter many different forest types over the course of this loop. Tall stands of second-growth redwoods in the canyons, leafy maples and an understory of ferns near the creek, and oak woodlands on the hillsides. There’s also mountain meadows that grant wide-open views on clear days.
First you’ll come to the creekside picnic area at Laurel Dell and Cataract Falls just beyond. Next comes a scenic traverse of a hillside meadow on High Marsh Trail, then meandering through young redwood groves. You’ll find more flowing water in Swede George Creek, then climb an open ridgeline and come to another picnic area at Potrero Meadow. A patchwork of forest and field, with intermittent hilltop views, leads back to the starting point via Benstein Trail.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
Created By
Strava Routes
