The Feather Falls

Feather Falls is one of the highest falls in the United States, a thrilling 640-foot drop. This falls is maybe the most beautiful in California outside the Yosemite. No wonder this falls has been a favorite among hikers. It is located at Feather Falls Scenic Area, Plumas National Forest, Butte County in Oroville. You can easily get there by taking Highway #162 toward east for 6.7 miles then turn left on Lumpkin Road for 11.4 miles to the signed turnoff for Feather Falls. To reach the trailhead, turn left at the sign and continue for 1.5 miles.

The Feather Falls flows the whole year through, but it is best to hike it in April when the snow is melting. Since this is a popular hiking place, it would be an advantage also if you come early in the morning. You can have the waterfall all by yourself before the other hikers would come and join in the feast of the view. There could be as many as a hundred hikers in any fair day.

The Feather Falls is a loop hike, with the upper loop of about 4.5 miles and the lower loop of about 3.5 miles. Guidebooks to the falls will tell you to take shorter 3.3 mile loop, and even without the guide, when people see that one way is shorter than the other, they would normally prefer the shorter route. But even if the literal "road less traveled" is much longer, it does not take more of your time than traveling the shorter one. Besides, the shorter route is much more difficult to tackle. Therefore it is recommended that you take the longer 4.5 mile hike to the falls and take the shorter 3.3 mile hike on your return back. It would be a lot easier since you will have a maximum of 6.5 miles of downhill hike and you minimize your uphill hike down to 1.5 miles. Although the last 1.5 miles is steep, it is not as steep as the one on the shorter way.

During the hike, there is a spot where there is a path that leads to the top of the Feather Falls, which is very dangerous, In fact, people have already died in this area when they slip on the very slippery rocks. But on this same spot, is a sight worth seeing. You can look down from the brink as it plunges down into the canyon. The sight is breath-taking. At the top of the falls, you can also find swimming holes, usually later in summer.

Some believe that Feather Falls is the sixth highest waterfall in the entire United States. However grand this waterfall might be, the claim is not true. There are a lot of other waterfalls which are definitely higher that the Feather Falls. But this is really a one of a kind waterfall and is worth seeing.