A Yosemite-class swimming hole; just the sort of thing you’d expect to find in the Sierra backcountry. The hole is approximately 30 feet wide and filled with deep, dark water spilling down from Smugglers Notch. It plunges two stories into a stone amphitheater with moss covered walls 45 feet high. Hemlocks and hardwoods put a canopy over the streambed and help create an even more enclosed space.

You’ll find beautifully sculpted rock above the falls. No swimming above the falls, though. People are frequently injured trying to scramble down into it. The informal trail to the bottom of the fall descends 60 vertical feet and is steep enough that a stick is very helpful. Or for balance you could lean on any of the 100 or so people likely to visit on a weekend.

Water quality is generally good, but it may receive sediment from activity at the ski area. Only a couple of good rocks to sit on and not much to dive from. The canyon points southwest, making it more of an afternoon spot. For an overview, cross the stream at the outlet and walk around to the top of the eastern wall.

Copyright Running Water Press 2002