Nojoqui Falls is a 140-foot seasonal horsetail waterfall on Nojoqui Creek in Santa Barbara County, California, at the end of a short trail in Nojoqui Falls Park, a Santa Barbara County day-use park south of Buellton. The name is pronounced "na-hoo-ui."
The falls
Nojoqui Creek spills over a wall of Jalama Formation sandstone. Rather than eroding upstream, the falls grow outward: calcium and magnesium carbonates in the water build up as travertine, the same mineral that forms cave stalactites. Lidar measurements place the drop at about 140 feet and indicate that the upper third is likely hidden from the viewpoint at the end of the trail. Earlier surveys recorded 100 feet, and some trail guides cite 80.
Getting there
The park sits about 1.5 miles east of US 101, roughly 5 miles south of Buellton and 7 miles southwest of Solvang by way of Alisal Road; the park address is 3250 Alisal Road. From the parking lot the trail heads south through a shaded oak grove into a narrow canyon. The route provides an easy 0.6-mile round trip with 168 feet of gain on a dirt path with wooden footbridges and stone steps. The grounds offer free entry and open from 8 a.m. to sunset, with restrooms before the trailhead. A local newsletter noted in March 2026 that the trail had reopened all the way to the falls.
When to go
The falls depend on rain and usually dry up in summer. They run best in winter and spring after storms; in dry months they drop to a trickle.
On site
Poison oak grows along the edges of the trail. Dogs are allowed on a leash. On December 3, 2014, heavy rain set off several landslides near the end of the trail while seven hikers were nearby. No one was hurt, but the trail was closed.
History and name
The name traces back to the Chumash village of Naxuwi, and the meadows of the park once served as a stagecoach relay station on the Nojoqui grade.
Nearby
San Lucas Creek Falls is about 9.3 miles away. Farther away are Mission Falls at about 26.8 miles and Seven Falls at about 26.9 miles, both on Mission Creek.
Distances are straight-line.