Gem Lake Falls is a 30-foot waterfall on Rush Creek in Mono County, California, in the Sierra Nevada region. It lies about 12.3 miles northwest of Mammoth Lakes and roughly 70.5 miles northeast of Clovis as the crow flies.
At 30 feet it is on the modest side for California, where the typical waterfall with a recorded height stands around 70 feet; it ranks 215th of 286.
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. Rush Creek carries 7 recorded waterfalls; the biggest of them reaches 225 feet.
Mono County holds 42 recorded waterfalls, and several are close by. Agnew Lake Falls, is about 1 miles away. Crest Creek Falls, is about 1.7 miles away. Tatum Falls, is about 1.8 miles away.
Gem Lake Falls is located at 37.7496° N, 119.1580° 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 position was verified on aerial imagery. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.