Sight · Kings Canyon National Park
A shady waterfall hike with Monarch Divide views.
Overview
Sheep Creek Cascade is a small waterfall in a shady glen on Sheep Creek, reached by the Don Cecil Trail in Cedar Grove. It is a two-mile round trip with 600 feet of climbing; allow about 1½ hours. I would choose it for a forested creek walk and views of the Monarch Divide, not as a quick roadside waterfall stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictA small cascade worth a walkMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kings Canyon Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kings Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Kings Canyon audio tourRecorded for this place
Cedar Grove Village“You're approaching Cedar Grove Village, a useful stop for a meal, supplies, or help planning a canyon walk.”
Plays as you drive up to Sheep Creek Cascade in the Parkwolf Kings Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…The kids and my husband and I all agree that the narration really added to our experience driving through the parks. We learned so much about the history and the flora & fauna.”
Guide
Park near Cedar Grove Visitor Center and follow the access trail to the trailhead across Highway 180. Don Cecil climbs the relatively cool, north-facing canyon slope. Cedar Grove generally opens from May into early or mid-November, but dates shift with conditions, so check access before building a trip around it. Dogs are not allowed on park trails.
Before Highway 180 was completed in 1939, Don Cecil Trail was the main access route into Cedar Grove. Today it is a day hike, with Monarch Divide views along the climb before the trail reaches the shady creek glen.
At the cascade, water spreads over sloping pale rock into several narrow drops. For a photo, include the ledges and the water below; a tight crop on one stream loses the broken shape that makes this a cascade.
Wildlife
227 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
385 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
188 sightingsMarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
118 sightingsPikaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
14 sightingsGolden TroutMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
32 sightingsRainbow TroutMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kings Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateSheep Creek Cascade Trail2 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA short climb to small falls in a shady Cedar Grove ravine.
ChallengingLookout Peak via Don Cecil Trail11 mi · 8 hr · 1.2 mi awayA long historic climb opens over the whole canyon.
ChallengingCedar Grove Overlook via Hotel Creek Trail4.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA steep 4.4-mile out-and-back to Kings Canyon views
ModerateHotel Creek–Lewis Creek Loop8 mi · 5 hr · 1.4 mi awayCedar Grove loop with a canyon view and quiet pine stretch.
EasyCedar Grove River Road Walk6.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA flat riverside road walk beneath granite cliffs.
ChallengingVolcanic Lakes Loop37.6 mi · 1.5 days · 1.7 mi awayA chain of granite lakes rewards a long, rough cross-country route.
ChallengingLewis Creek Trail to Kennedy Pass19.6 mi · 18 hr · 1.7 mi awayA steep, high-country climb to a broad Sierra pass.
ChallengingGrizzly Lakes via Deer Cove Trail17.5 mi · 12 hr · 2.5 mi awayA steep, all-day climb to lakes beneath Mount Harrington.
Campground · 1.1 mi awaySheep Creek CampgroundA shady riverside base in the heart of Cedar Grove.
Campground · 1.2 mi awaySentinel CampgroundSleep near the Kings River, with Cedar Grove trails close by.
Sight · 1.2 mi awayCedar Grove AmphitheaterA forest theater for ranger talks when Cedar Grove's program is on.
Visitor center · 1.2 mi awayCedar Grove Visitor CenterA handy cabin stop for maps and ranger advice before the canyon.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayCanyon View Group CampgroundGroup camping beside the South Fork beneath granite canyon walls.
Lodging · 1.3 mi awayCedar Grove Lodge and MarketSeasonal rooms, riverside dining and supplies in the canyon
1.3 mi awayCedar Grove Showers and LaundryA practical wash-up and laundry stop in Cedar Grove.
Campground · 1.4 mi awayMoraine CampgroundA riverfront base for Cedar Grove's hikes.Parkwolf’s Kings Canyon ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
