California · Hiking · Near Silver City

Mist Falls

Mist Falls
Jun–Oct
best months

Is Mist Falls open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Kings Canyon National Park.

As of · Source: NPS · Kings Canyon National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Mist Falls is an 8-mile round-trip hike in Kings Canyon National Park, within the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness in California. The National Park Service manages the land, and the trail lies in designated wilderness. The walk is an all-day outing. The first part is flat and open, and the last mile climbs 600 feet through wooded terrain. The falls themselves are a cascade, and the surrounding rocks are slippery and treacherous with mist and spray. People have slipped and fallen here often, so caution is essential once you reach the falls. The most comfortable months are July and August, when typical averages from the Lodgepole weather station run around 76°F for highs and 44 to 46°F for lows. That station sits about 1,000 feet below the falls, so temperatures at the falls run cooler. Dogs are not allowed, and the trail is not accessible. Paradise Valley is about a mile away, and Bubbs Creek Switchbacks and Upper Copper Creek Switchbacks are both within 2 miles. Canyon View Group Sites, about 7 miles off, offers camping.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Lower Paradise Valley

    Campground

    Campground · 1.7 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Cedar Grove Grill

    Fast food

    On your way back · 7 mi · Open after 6
  • If it rainsDavid Fulmer, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Giant Forest Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 21 mi from Silver City

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: David Fulmer, CC BY 2.0 (commons)

More in Silver City

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit Mist Falls

    Best months: June–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      39° / 17°

      9 wet · 8 snow

    2. Feb

      41° / 18°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    3. Mar

      45° / 22°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 26°

      8 wet · 5 snow

    5. May

      58° / 33°

      5 wet · 2 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 40°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      76° / 46°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      76° / 44°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 39°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 31°

      4 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      47° / 23°

      6 wet · 4 snow

    12. Dec

      37° / 17°

      8 wet · 6 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lodgepole, CA, 17.7 mi away at 6,735 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Paradise ValleyPhoto: lewinb, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Paradise Valley

~2 min drive

3.77-mile out-and-back trail in California with 370 ft gain and 6,920 ft max elevation.

Mist FallsPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mist Falls

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3.41-mile out-and-back trail with 1,451 ft gain in California's National Park Service area.

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Copper Creek

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Cedar Grove Sand FlatsPhoto: Melofors, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Bubbs Creek SwitchbacksPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bubbs Creek Switchbacks

~3 min drive

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Don Cecil Trailhead

~12 min drive

The 4.4 mile one-way (8.8 mile round-trip) Don Cecil Trail is a steep climb along the north-facing slope of Kings Canyon. If you're looking for a shorter hike, Sheep Creek Cascade is about a mile up the trail and offers a shady spot to sit and relax. This historic trail was…

Cedar Grove Roads End - Sand Flats StockPhoto: Melofors, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Upper Copper Creek SwitchbacksPhoto: Tom Hilton, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Copper Creek Switchbacks

~4 min drive

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