Hedge Creek Falls is a 29-foot plunge waterfall on Hedge Creek in Siskiyou County, California, on the northern edge of Dunsmuir, where the spring-fed creek pours off a ledge of columnar basalt. A short, free trail from Dunsmuir Avenue leads down to the falls and through a cave behind them.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database, which surveyed the falls in person, measures a single 29-foot drop about 5 feet wide, framed by large boulders and trees in the gully below. Other guides round the height up to 30 or 35 feet. The falls sit at the southern tip of an old lava flow from Mount Shasta: the recess behind the water formed within the thick lava, not from spray wearing it away, and the creek is fed by the region's volcanic aquifer.
Getting there
The trailhead is on Dunsmuir Avenue just off I-5 exit 732 (Siskiyou Avenue). The parking address is 506 Dunsmuir Avenue, with a crosswalk to the trail entrance and a picnic pavilion at the trailhead. The base of the falls is about 500 feet down the trail. The round trip is 0.6 mile with 130 feet of elevation change, about 15 minutes; continuing to the river, it's 1 mile round trip with 160 feet of gain, rated easy, though narrow and uneven in spots. There is no fee or permit. The trail is maintained by the City of Dunsmuir, which cleared trees at the trailhead in 2025 for a small water treatment building expected to be built from 2026; the city says the trail itself won't be affected.
When to go
March to June are the best months. The springs keep some water flowing all year, but summer volume drops sharply. The trail is open year-round, though it can ice over in winter.
On site
A crescent-shaped alcove under the basalt ledge lets walkers pass behind the falls. Below them the path continues to an overlook of the Sacramento River and the Union Pacific tracks, with benches along the way. Hikers are asked not to go beyond the official end of the trail. Dogs are welcome.
History and name
Local legend holds that the stagecoach robber Black Bart hid in the cave behind the falls. The nickname "Million Dollar Waterfall" comes from Interstate 5 being rerouted at added cost to spare it.
Nearby
Mossbrae Falls is about 0.3 mile away, but it has no legal public access; the city's planned trail to it would extend the Hedge Creek trail by 0.6 mile, and it still awaits funding. Faery Falls is about 3.8 miles away and Root Creek Falls about 5.2 miles.
Distances are straight-line.