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Waterfall

Preston Falls

California

About

Preston Falls is a waterfall in the Groveland Ranger District of Stanislaus National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. The nearest town is Buck Meadows, about 12 miles away, and the falls sit at roughly 2,770 feet. Late spring and early fall tend to be the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Hetch Hetchy weather station show May highs around 69°F and October highs around 70°F, while July and August average highs near 86°F. That station sits about 1,100 feet higher than the falls, so temperatures at the falls run warmer. Several other destinations are close by. Camp Mather Trails and the Dimond "O" campground are each about 1.5 miles away, the Mather hike is about 1.7 miles off, and the Middle Tuolumne River offers canoeing about 2 miles away.

Waterfall Facts

Elevation

2,770 ft

Land manager

Forest Service

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Preston Falls

California

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Jun. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–78°F and lows of 39–53°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Hetch Hetchy, CA weather station, 7.6 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan48° high32° low
  2. Feb52° high33° low
  3. Mar57° high36° low
  4. Apr62° high39° low
  5. May69° high46° low
  6. Jun78° high53° low
  7. Jul86° high59° low
  8. Aug86° high59° low
  9. Sep81° high54° low
  10. Oct70° high45° low
  11. Nov56° high37° low
  12. Dec47° high33° low

The station sits about 1,100 ft higher than this spot, so expect it to run a little warmer here.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Buck Meadows, California · 12 mi
Managed by
Forest Service

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Stanislaus National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)