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Waterfall

Sardine Falls

California

About

Sardine Falls is a waterfall in the Bridgeport Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. The nearest town is Walker, about 17 miles away, and the falls sit at roughly 9,200 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Tuolumne Meadows show July highs around 71°F with lows near 38°F, while winter highs stay in the low 40s. Several other destinations lie within a few miles. Leavitt Lake is about 2.3 miles away, and Stanislaus Peak is about 2.4 miles away. Climbers can head to Crunchy Boulder, also about 2.4 miles off, and Leavitt Meadows Campground is about 4 miles away.

Waterfall Facts

Elevation

9,211 ft

Land manager

Forest Service

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

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Location

Sardine 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: Jun–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–71°F and lows of 32–38°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA weather station, 33 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan41° high13° low
  2. Feb38° high12° low
  3. Mar42° high15° low
  4. Apr45° high22° low
  5. May54° high27° low
  6. Jun65° high33° low
  7. Jul71° high38° low
  8. Aug70° high36° low
  9. Sep65° high32° low
  10. Oct57° high26° low
  11. Nov47° high20° low
  12. Dec40° high12° low

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

Where it is

Nearest town
Walker, California · 17 mi
Managed by
Forest Service

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

Conditions

Active alerts for Bridgeport Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

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

Is Sardine Falls open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Sardine Falls, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Sardine Falls

Best months: June–September. 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

    41° / 13°

  2. Feb

    38° / 12°

  3. Mar

    42° / 15°

  4. Apr

    45° / 22°

  5. May

    54° / 27°

  6. Jun

    65° / 33°

  7. Jul

    71° / 38°

  8. Aug

    70° / 36°

  9. Sep

    65° / 32°

  10. Oct

    57° / 26°

  11. Nov

    47° / 20°

  12. Dec

    40° / 12°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 33.4 mi away at 8,694 ft. The station sits about 500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.