Triple Falls is a 385-foot tiered waterfall in Kings Canyon National Park, Fresno County, California, where Cartridge Creek and its South Fork come together in a branching set of drops at 8,165 feet. It sits in remote backcountry with no maintained trail to it.
The falls
Lidar data measures about 385 feet of cumulative drop over six tiers and a maximum width of 565 feet; earlier surveys listed 40 feet. Cartridge Creek descends in steps of roughly 70, 15, 10, 30 and 80 feet, while the South Fork adds drops of 45, 50 and 100 feet, and the final 125-foot fall sits in a short, narrow box canyon. Smaller cascades upstream could add another 80 to 120 feet.
Getting there
The Park Service's 2015 wilderness stewardship plan took Cartridge Pass out of the maintained trail and stock-route system and lists the abandoned trail segments near Triple Falls for restoration assessment. Overnight trips into the wilderness need a wilderness permit: from May 22 to September 26, 2026, it costs $15 per permit plus $5 per person and can be reserved on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead; from September 27, 2026, to May 20, 2027, permits are free and self-issued. Bear canisters are required in most of the park.
When to go
Sierra Nevada streams run on snowmelt, strongest in spring and early summer; seasonal flow at Triple Falls itself isn't documented.
History and name
The name comes from the view from below, where the falls appear as three separate waterfalls arranged in a Y. The original John Muir Trail crossed Cartridge Pass before the route was moved to the Golden Staircase and Mather Pass.
Nearby
Devils Washbowl, on the Middle Fork Kings River, is about 2.7 miles away, the unnamed waterfall on the North Fork Kings River about 2.9 miles and Palisade Creek Falls about 5.8 miles.
Distances are straight-line.