Salmon Creek Falls is a waterfall of about 105 feet on Salmon Creek in southern Big Sur, Monterey County, California, a few minutes' walk from Highway 1. It sits at the edge of the Silver Peak Wilderness in the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest.
The falls
The falls descend as segmented horsetails, with lidar data recording the drop at about 105 feet, while older surveys cited 120 feet. Above the main falls, Salmon Creek runs through a string of cataracts for about 1.4 miles. At the bottom the water breaks up among large boulders and collects in several pools under the trees.
Getting there
The Salmon Creek trailhead is an unpaved pullout on the inland side of Highway 1 at a hairpin turn, about 3.6 miles north of Ragged Point Inn and 18.6 miles north of the Hearst Castle turnoff. Parking is free and there is no toilet. An unpaved trail of about 0.3 mile leads to the falls: take the left fork near the start, which ends in the rocks below the falls; the walk is very easy, with almost no climbing. The right fork is the Salmon Creek Trail, which reaches the top of the falls and continues into the Silver Peak Wilderness, a common start for backpacking trips.
After the Plaskett Fire of August 2026, the Los Padres National Forest issued an emergency order closing National Forest System lands, roads and trails in its Monterey Ranger District closure area; CAL FIRE's September 23 update lists the order as still in force, while Highway 1 has reopened from Carmel to Cambria. Check the forest's current closure order before stopping.
When to go
Spring and summer bring the best flow, which drops in dry seasons; weekdays tend to be quieter because the spot gets crowded on weekends.
On site
The trail is lined with poison oak, and the boulders near the falls are slippery. Reaching the base means scrambling over rocks, and the pool at the foot of the falls may carry algae. Leashed dogs are allowed. In April 2024 a 21-year-old Cal Poly student was found dead at the base of the falls; the autopsy ruled it an accidental death from blunt force injuries. Stay off wet rock above the pools.
Nearby
Redwood Gulch Falls is about 2.4 miles away, Three Troughs Falls about 15.2 miles and Limekiln Falls about 16.3 miles. Gorda is about 6.5 miles up the coast.
Distances are straight-line.