Lemah Creek Falls

Lemah Creek Falls can be seen from the Pacific Crest Trail where it crosses Lemah Creek. Closer approaches to the falls are had by bushwhacking upstream from the trail to the base of the falls (the left side of the creek is easiest), or by following the Lemah Basin route upstream to the upper parts of the falls. The shortest route to the falls is 6 1/4 miles via the Pete Lake trail. The hike is flat and can be done in a day if so desired, but the area is exceptionally scenic and should be properly explored overnight.The USGS topographic maps show two waterfalls on Lemah Creek between the upper basin meadows and the Pacific Crest Trail. In reality, there is essentially a long series of falls that are difficult to consider multiple waterfalls because one starts just as soon as another ends. However, because the entire series of falls is impossible to see or photograph together, and there is a significant flat "step" at one point, there is a logical location to divide the cascades in two according to the map. This, the lower of the two, consists of three main drops. The first is an S-shaped chute of about 25 feet. The run-out of this drop quickly leads into a 40-foot fall, which is rather difficult to photograph without climbing precariously close to the wet rocks. This drop ends on a bedrock ledge, which then feeds a 102-foot series of steep cascades which drops into a large pool at the very bottom of the formation. The lower 130 feet of the falls can be partially seen from the Pacific Crest Trail on the north side of the bridge over Lemah Creek, but getting close requires some moderate bushwhacking, and a possible ford of the creek (possibly difficult when the creek is running high).