About Frazier Falls
Frazier Falls (also known as Frazier Creek Falls) was a very impressively tall waterfall as according to a sign here, it was said to be 176ft in height (or 248ft in total if you include the cascading sections). In a way, this waterfall’s glacial origins kind of hinted at the kind of geology that we’d be seeing more of as we were making our way to the Lake Tahoe area from nearby Graeagle. In fact, the interplay of glaciers with the granite landscape that was common in this part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range made it apparent to us why Plumas National Forest had so many waterfalls, including the famed Feather Falls further to the west near Oroville. Anyways, it was this glacial action of depressing the land (creating Gold Lake in the process, which sourced Frazier Creek some six miles further upstream) then receding as the climate warmed to reveal hanging canyons and valleys that allowed for granite waterfalls like this to exist.
From the well-signed trailhead and parking area (see directions below), we walked through the paved path flanked by a restroom before passing between a handful of picnic tables under some initial shade. Mom and I noticed that this was quite the popular place, especially since it seemed like the access to the falls was very convenient as the trail was pretty much paved the entire way meaning that it was wheelchair accessible. Then, the path pretty much was open to the sun revealing some interesting rocks (hinting at the geology at play here) as well as some hints of wildflowers in the bush mats flanking the trail. The mostly flat trail curved this way and that as it meandered over a bridge crossing Frazier Creek (where a glimpse downstream would reveal where the creek would suddenly disappear over the unseen falls) while passing by some more rest benches (further confirming that this trail was built with all-access in mind).
After around 15-20 minutes of walking to cover the half-mile distance in each direction, we eventually reached the overlook area with tall fences to keep people from being tempted to get any closer to the drop offs. It was from here that we were able to peer directly down at the impressive Frazier Falls while also getting partial glimpses further down the canyon. We had to be content with our views of the falls because it seemed like there was no safe and sane way to come close to getting down to the bottom of the falls. So we did like most other people did and savored the views as much as possible before heading back the way we came. While it wasn’t possible to safely get close to the water to cool off in the hot sun (during our visit, it was 82F at the car and 90F in nearby Graeagle), I guess that was what the recreational opportunities at Gold Lake was for.
One thing that we noticed before leaving was that Frazier Creek seemed to be rapidly on the decline in terms of waterflow. So that indicated to us that we were probably fortunate to have timed our visit for the middle of June when it could be a bit on the disappointing side going into July or later. Anyways, Mom and I spent an hour away from the car. The falls provided us with a nice opportunity to stretch our legs as we were in the midst of a pretty long drive between Lassen Volcanic National Park and South Lake Tahoe. That said, there were many other ways to access the falls, which I’m sure exacerbated its popularity.
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