Upper Falls

Santa Clara County, California

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: Not recorded
Location: Santa Clara County, California
Access status: Published trail route documented; current county fee and reservation rule unconfirmed
The walk: About 1.2 to 1.5 miles each way; exact figure not stated
Ground & access: Rolling trail and dirt road with stairs and creek-side sections.

Modern Hiker: Uvas Canyon Waterfall Loop

Start at the park kiosk in the northwest corner of the day-use lot and follow the brown Waterfall Loop Nature Trail signs along Swanson Creek on Waterfall Loop Road. Pass the Black Rock Falls spur at 1.1 miles and Myrtle Flats, then the Knobcone Point Trail on the right. At the three-way junction turn left to Upper Falls, a fan fall about 15 feet high. Return the same way or continue the loop.

Plan your visit

Uvas Canyon County Park day-use lot by the Waterfall Loop Nature Trail to Upper Falls

Modern Hiker passes the Black Rock Falls spur at 1.1 miles and the Upper Falls junction shortly after; it crosses Swanson Creek at the 1.7-mile mark beyond Upper Falls. The exact distance to Upper Falls is estimated from those points, not stated.

Rolling trail and dirt road with stairs and creek-side sections.

Where to start

Uvas Canyon County Park day-use parking lot.

Timing & water

Falls are best after late winter and early spring storms.

Before you go

Modern Hiker cited a $6 entrance fee paid at a kiosk and said parking reservations were no longer required as of June 2018. The current county fee and any reservation rule were not confirmed.

Visitor information

Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore California

Waterfall location

Santa Clara County, California.

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