Bear River Falls is a 5-foot waterfall on Bear River in Placer County, California, in the Sierra Nevada region. It lies about 18.9 miles east of Nevada City and roughly 46.9 miles northeast of Rocklin as the crow flies.
At 5 feet it is one of the lowest falls in the state’s records: of the 286 California waterfalls with a documented height only 0 are shorter, while the typical California waterfall stands around 70 feet.
The Sierra Nevada is a long granite range with glacially carved canyons, alpine meadows and forests of ponderosa and Jeffrey pine, incense cedar and giant sequoia. Snowmelt-fed rivers pour over polished granite steps and cliffs, especially in spring and early summer.
Placer County holds 59 recorded waterfalls, and several are close by. Emerald Pools Falls, is under a mile away. Emigrant Gap Falls, is about 2.9 miles away. Killer Fang Falls, is about 3.5 miles away.
Bear River Falls is located at 39.3080° N, 120.6694° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.