Deer Creek Falls

Deer Creek Falls is found adjacent to Highway 32 about 43-1/2 miles north of Highway 99 in Chico, or 13-1/2 miles south of the junction of Highways 32 and 36 at Deer Creek Meadows. There is a large pullout and a wooden sign denoting the falls (in a vague sense) and a trail which leads down to the creek in about 200 feet.Deer Creek Falls is a stout but powerful plunging punchbowl style waterfall of 18 feet in height that is more noteworthy for the swimming and kayaking opportunities it presents than its stature. Deer Creek is a stream of substantial volume, flowing strongly even during the late summer months, so visiting the falls at any time of year will yield a payoff. The falls are bypassed by a fish ladder, which results in a partial diversion of water from the falls, and though this is not terribly discernible in the winter and spring months, during the late summer the reduced volume of the falls may become visible.