Lower Falls is a 25-foot steep cascade on the Middle Fork San Joaquin River in Madera County, California, the next drop downstream of Rainbow Falls near Devils Postpile National Monument. It lies just outside the monument boundary and is reached by continuing past Rainbow Falls on the same trail.
The falls
The river slides over a single steep step. Lidar data puts the drop at about 25 feet. Earlier surveys listed 35 feet.
Getting there
Lower Falls is an extension of the Rainbow Falls trail, beyond the monument. The route from Devils Postpile is 6.2 miles round trip with 672 feet of gain, rated moderate.
The valley is reached on Reds Meadow Road, which is narrow and steep, dropping almost 1,500 vertical feet. In peak season a mandatory shuttle from Mammoth Mountain's Main Lodge serves stops that include the Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls trailheads. When the shuttle isn't running, drivers pay a $10 amenity fee at Minaret Vista Station, and parking usually fills by 11:00 am. In 2026, road construction limits access: from September 21 to November 1 the road is open only from Saturday at 7 a.m. to Sunday at 11 p.m., and from November 2 it is closed to vehicles and pedestrians for construction and winter.
When to go
June through October is the recommended season. The 2026 construction schedule overrides the usual season, so check the Park Service hours page before planning a fall weekday visit.
On site
Dogs must be leashed inside the monument; in the surrounding national forest they may be leashed or under voice control, but leashes are required at parking lots, trailheads and campgrounds. Facilities and swimming rules at the falls aren't documented.
Nearby
Rainbow Falls is about 0.5 mile upstream, Upper Crater Creek Falls about 0.9 mile and Reds Creek Falls about 1.6 miles. The town of Mammoth Lakes is about 7.4 miles to the northeast.
Distances are straight-line.