Hiked January 5, 2026. Wow, another year! It's been a long time since I last hiked Sturtevant Falls. The last hike I can find in my blog was in 2017. That's owing to repeated fire closures, then time constraints, and needing an Adventure Pass or federal lands pass to park at the top. It's been reopened since last October, which is also when my annual federal lands pass expired, and I wanted to make it to December, when I could buy my lifetime senior pass. Also, it's such a mess up there on the weekends, I usually only go on weekdays when I'm off.
I tried loading a few videos of the waterfall, but they don't properly display, so I had to come back re-edit this.
Things have changed since my last visit. It seems like a few of the formerly standing cabins did burn in recent fires, although most seem to have survived. Some "boundary walls" were collapsed, apparently from fallen trees and branches. Also, a bridge that used to cross a tributary was washed out, I think. In any event, it did not cross the tributary, but was laying adjacent and below where it once crossed. Instead, a wooden plank-bridge provided a dry way across.
Lots of mulched wood around, presumably chipped on site from fallen trees and branches. In other places were stacks of firewood, also presumably from fallen trees and branches. So the understory seemed more open than I remembered, which is good for fire control.
Obviously, with all the recent rain, the water was running high. In one spot, you had to leave the trail to walk along a cabin base to get around and still stay dry. Also, Fiddler's Crossing was high. Would have required removing boots, and stepping ito pretty deep and moving water. Not necessarily dangerous, but uncomfortable. So I diverted to the trail to the top of the falls, instead.
Incidentally, for years, the cabin at Fiddler's crossing had an American flag displayed. Didn't see a flag on this trip, but I did see a "United Federation of Planets" flag, displayed from a nearby cabin.
It was twisted over on itself, but also behind a wall. It's not clear to me if the areas around the cabins are actually private or not. My assumption is that the cabins are leased, but the actual land is still national forest. So, as much as I wanted to unfurl the flag properly, I left it as it was.
I hiked a bit past the top of the falls, taking many pictures as I did. Debated whether to descend to the base, or not, and eventually did. I moved slowly and carefully down the non-trail. This is not recommended, both because you'll speed erosion, and the fall risk. I carefully grasps branches or protruding rocks going both up and down, being careful to avoid any slides or dislodging or rocks that would speed erosion, and would make the non-trail steeper for the next person.
At the base of the falls, I was disappointed to see a lot of food wrappers and orange peels. But I had no trashbag with me to pack that junk out. Just pissing me off that you can carry stuff out there to eat, but won't carry out your litter.
It's about 3.8 miles roundtrip, and about 800 feet of vertical gain the way I went. Dogs are permitted, but they'll have a rough time if you take the non-trail down to the base of the falls. I expect in a day or two, assuming no more rain, Fiddler's Crossing will become passable, again. Parking in the lot at the trailhead requires an Adventure Pass or federal lands pass, hung from your rearview mirror.
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