Stairstep Falls is a waterfall in Marin County, California, in the Coast Range region, with a total height of about 40 feet. It lies about 2 miles northwest of Lagunitas-Forest Knolls and roughly 9.7 miles southwest of Novato as the crow flies.
At 40 feet it is on the modest side for California, where the typical waterfall with a recorded height stands around 70 feet; it ranks 193rd of 286.
The Coast Range is a belt of steep, deeply dissected hills along the Pacific, wrapped in dense temperate rainforest of Douglas fir, western hemlock, Sitka spruce and red alder. Heavy winter rain feeds short, fast creeks lined with ferns, salmonberry and moss that drop steeply toward the ocean or the Columbia.
There are 13 recorded waterfalls in Marin County. Phantom Falls, is about 5.7 miles away. Carson Falls, 150 feet high, is about 6.1 miles away. Ink Well, The, is about 6.3 miles away.
Stairstep Falls is located at 38.0344° N, 122.7213° 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 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.