A moderate hike to Cataract Falls on Mt. Tam with no day-use fee; dog policy not documented.
Cataract Falls sits on Mount Tamalpais, offering a moderate hike through Bay Area wilderness. No day-use fee applies, making this a budget-friendly waterfall option.
Trail length and specific difficulty details vary depending on the route chosen; confirm current conditions with Mt. Tam management before heading out. The dog policy is not documented for this particular location, so contact the park directly if you plan to hike with a pet.
Spring and fall provide the most comfortable hiking temperatures in this Bay Area location.
Mt. Tam offers year-round hiking. Spring and fall provide cooler, more comfortable temperatures.
No fee or permit requirement was published on the managing agency's site when we last checked — confirm current conditions before you go, since these change.
The managing agency's page (linked below) has the current trailhead and route details — round-trip distance wasn't published when we checked.
We track 9 waterfalls in Northern California.
There is 1 other waterfall we track in Marin County. All Northern California waterfalls →
parks.ca.gov
Falls are on Marin Municipal Water District land along Cataract Creek, reached via trailheads (Rock Spring, Laurel Dell) inside Mount Tamalpais State Park (official page cited). Dog policy differs by jurisdiction — MMWD land generally permits leashed dogs, while Mt. Tam SP trails largely restrict dogs to paved roads — so left null pending on-site signage. Checked Aug 2026; no current trail closures reported by the state park.
Checked August 2026.