Tag Archives: Waterfall

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The Mendonoma Coast received a good amount of rain this past winter. At our house we've received over fifty inches, a good drenching. All that rain brought the many seasonal creeks to life. Craig Tooley photographed one recently.

A Seasonal creek by Craig Tooley

Some creeks, like this one, flow gently over a sandy beach to reach the Pacific Ocean. Others throw themselves over bluffs in their journey to the ocean, creating beautiful waterfalls. If the sun hits the waterfall just right, a rainbow appears, as it did when Allen Vinson got this photo at Black Point Beach on The Sea Ranch.

Rainbow in a seasonal waterfall at Black Point Beach by Allen Vinson

Thanks to Craig and Allen for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com. To see more of Allen's nature photography, here is the link to his site: http://allenvinson.smugmug.com/

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Craig Tooley titled this photo "A rare sighting." Thankfully, this year seasonal creeks are full, and beautiful cascades such as this one are not hard to find.

A rare sighting - a waterfall by Craig Tooley

And there's a mushroom growing in the foreground.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com

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The Salal Trail is rather hard to find. The trailhead is in Gualala Point Regional Park. After you pass the pay station, turn into the parking area on the left and park in the right side. To your left you will see the beginning of the trail.

Beginning of Salal Trail by Jeanne Jackson (Medium)

You amble down a path between Highway One and the golf course. The trail then heads west. Rick and I, along with friends C'Anna and David Bergman-Hill and our new rescue golden retriever, Sunny, recently enjoyed the trail.

We found summer wildflowers in bloom. Here David has photographed C'Anna and me finding Wight's Paintbrush.

C'Anna Bergman-Hill and Jeanne Jackson find Wight's Paintbrush by David Bergman-Hill

Here's a close-up of this native wildflower, photo by Craig Tooley.

Wight's Paintbrush by Craig Tooley

We came to the waterfall and even in the drought there is a slight trickle. When the winter rains come, the waterfall is glorious. Here's are two photos I took a few years ago. It's really a magical place.

View of waterfall on Salal Trail by Jeanne Jackson (Medium) Waterfall on the Salal Trail by Jeanne Jackson (Medium)

Finally, at the end of the trail, you come to a small beach, which is where Rick and Sunny are. This photo was taken by C'Anna.

Rick and Sunny at the end of the Salal Trail by C'Anna Bergman-Hill

We feel very fortunate Salal Trail is a public access trail. There is no other quite like it!
Thanks to C'Anna, David, and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com.

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All the rain we've had has brought seasonal waterfalls to life. Allen Vinson recently photographed the waterfall at Stengel Beach.

Beautiful waterfall at Stengel Beach by Allen Vinson

Isn't it beautiful?  Stengel Beach is a public access point on The Sea Ranch. There is a very short trail out to the bluffs to see this waterfall.

Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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There is a beautiful waterfall on the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands. However several years ago the waterfall "broke." The water no longer cascaded off the high bluff but it found a way down inside the rock. I'm happy to report that the waterfall is once again flowing over the bluff. In fact it is spilling off the bluff in two waterfalls. Margaret Lindgren recently photographed them.

To see this waterfall, which has been refreshed by the wonderful rains we are having this week, go down Lighthouse Road. Before you reach the pay station of the Point Arena Lighthouse, you will see a parking area to the left with a porta potty. Enter there and hike south along the bluffs. The scenery is magnificent there, with a sinkhole.

As you can see by the photo, with our golden retriever, Huckleberry, the sinkhole is huge!

Continue heading south - it might take fifteen minutes or so - and you will come to a seasonal creek. You need to hike down, cross the creek, and then climb back up. Go a little further south and look back. Here's a photo I took some time ago, before the waterfall disappeared for several years. You might be able to see the Lighthouse in the distance.

And below is a look at the waterfall when it fractured and the water went inside the rock face.

I am so glad the waterfall is flowing where we can see it. And because these lands are protected as the first land based part of the California Coastal National Monument, they are preserved for all of us to enjoy.

Thanks to Margaret for allowing me to share her photo with you here. Margaret leads hiking tours here on the Mendonoma Coast. Her website is: www.unbeatenpath.weebly.com