Preston Falls Trail on the Tuolumne River

Preston Falls Trail

Forest Service Road 1N07 (Cherry Falls Road)
Stanislaus National Forest
Groveland, California
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Local Phone: (209) 962-7825

With only 300 feet of elevation variation,  this4.4-mile trail along the north side of the Tuolumne River is rated easy, although making a round trip of it requires a full day. While lacking the buffed granite walls and boulders of the Hetch Hetchy area just 12 miles upstream, this section of the Tuolumne River Canyon is plenty picturesque. The foamy white "falls" and emerald pools below them  occur in a section of the river where granite boulders constrict its flow. 

Preston Falls is frequented by backpackers, who find flat ground in a meadow near the falls. The trail is also shared with equestrians. Please observe trail etiquette by keeping your dog leashed when in the vicinity of horses and other hikers.

GETTING THERE: The trailhead is near the Early Intake facility off of  Cherry Lake Road. After the bridge, turn right to trailhead. Use the Cherry Lake South topographic quad for mapped directions.

dog friendly, pet friendly, dogtrekker.com, preston falls, tuolumne river, hike, trail, easy

Sugar Pine Railway. Photo by  J. Stephen Conn (CC)
Sugar Pine Railway. Photo by J. Stephen Conn (CC)
Tuolumne County, bordering Yosemite National Park along the Highway 49 and Highway 120 corridors, played a pivotal roll in 19th-century stampede for gold and silver, and its rugged landscape is dotted with towns—Columbia, Jamestown, Twain Harte, Groveland—that still have a boomtown feel. more »
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