Parking
The small falls trailhead lot is beside Highway 180, about 3 miles east of Cedar Grove Village. A roadside turnout west of the bridge has been used when the lot fills, but parking is limited.
Overview
About Roaring River Falls Trail
Why go
- A big waterfall payoff for a very short walk
- Paved, shaded path with little climbing
Heads up
- The small lot can be tight at busy times
- A brief spur rather than a longer hike
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kings Canyon map
Full mapElevation4,852–4,888 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Kings Canyon alerts
- CautionStage 1 fire restrictionsStage 1 fire restrictions are active because high fire danger raises the risk of accidental human-caused fires that could threaten visitors and employees.Official details
- ClosureGrant Grove trails and areas closed for prescribed fireSome trails and areas around Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree are closed during an active prescribed burn; stay out until crews clear hazards and reopen them.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kings Canyon Tour Guide
Your drive to Roaring River Falls Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Roaring River Falls0:00 / 0:29
“You're coming up on Roaring River Falls, a good choice for a waterfall stop without a long hike. The river squeezes through a narrow granite chute and drops about forty feet into a pool.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kings Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Knapp’s Cabin
- Zumwalt Meadow
- Cedar Grove's Flat Green Sprays
- Road's End and Muir Rock
- 55 audio storiesacross Kings Canyon’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mule Deer, Marmot, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 77 trails, 61 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Roaring River Falls Trail
The quick decisionRoaring River Falls Trail is a paved out-and-back from Highway 180 to the waterfall, about 0.
Roaring River Falls Trail is a paved out-and-back from Highway 180 to the waterfall, about 0.3 miles round trip with roughly 35 feet of climbing. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the walk and a stop at the viewing area. It is a shaded, relatively accessible way to see one of Cedar Grove's most striking falls, but it is a brief stop rather than a substantial hike. The river is usually loudest and strongest in late spring and early summer.
Follow the paved spurStart at the small lot about three miles east of Cedar Grove Village.
Start at the small lot about three miles east of Cedar Grove Village. The path climbs gently under trees to a junction with the River Trail, then the paved branch continues to a viewing area beside the falls. Return the same way. The River Trail's longer route toward Zumwalt Meadow is a separate outing, not part of this short walk.
A river in a granite chuteRoaring River drains Deadman and Cloud canyons, then drops about 40 feet through a narrow…
Roaring River drains Deadman and Cloud canyons, then drops about 40 feet through a narrow granite chute into a pool. Its force changes through the year; late spring and early summer usually bring the fullest, noisiest flow. From the paved viewing area, frame the whole chute with the pool below it to show how the granite walls shape the falls.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Kings Canyon
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.
