Parking
Park near site #14 at Potwisha Campground. Follow the dirt road across the concrete ditch; the trail starts on the steep bank to the right. If those spaces are full, use Potwisha Overflow Parking across Generals Highway.
Overview
About Marble Falls Trail
Why go
- Cascades spill over pale marble in a tight canyon.
- The old canal and spring wildflowers add interest before the falls.
Heads up
- A long, steady climb in hot foothill weather.
- Published distances differ by about 1.2 miles round trip.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation2,205–3,691 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Sequoia alerts
- InfoGenerals Highway weekday hazard-tree removal delaysMentions Generals Highway, referenced in this guideExpect weekday delays of up to 30 minutes total on Generals Highway between Highway 180 and Giant Forest, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., while crews remove hazard trees; the highway remains open.Official details
- CautionStage 1 fire restrictionsStage 1 fire restrictions are in effect due to high fire danger and catastrophic-wildfire risk; the restrictions reduce the possibility of accidental human-caused fires that could threaten visitors…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sequoia Tour Guide
Your drive to Marble Falls Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Sequoia 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 Sequoia audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Potwisha and Marble Falls0:00 / 0:24
“You're approaching Potwisha, where a long foothills hike leads to Marble Falls spilling over pale marble in a narrow canyon. Allow about four hours for the round trip, with steep, uneven stretches and little shade.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Sequoia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Logger Who Changed Careers
- Amphitheater Point
- The Woodpeckers' Pantry
- A Bear's Seasonal Menu
- 71 audio storiesacross Sequoia’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 68 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 Marble Falls Trail
The climb to Marble FallsMarble Falls Trail is a 6.
Marble Falls Trail is a 6.2-mile out-and-back from Potwisha to the lower waterfall on the Marble Fork Kaweah River. Allow about four hours for a steady foothill climb and the same route back down. Most route descriptions put it near 3.1 miles each way, but the panel at the trailhead lists 3.7. Check the sign when you arrive and leave time for the longer figure if that is the route being signed.
From Potwisha into the foothillsPark near site 14 in Potwisha Campground, follow the dirt road over the concrete ditch, then…
Park near site #14 in Potwisha Campground, follow the dirt road over the concrete ditch, then take the trail climbing up the steep bank to the right. The first stretch follows a dirt service road beside the Marble Fork. A weathered canal from the old waterworks appears along the way; after about a quarter mile, a signed junction turns onto narrow singletrack.
The path climbs through several drainages on switchbacks, moving between shaded oak woodland and open chaparral. Around 2.1 miles it bends at the shoulder of Switchback Peak. A rocky outcrop around mile 2.5 opens a view up the canyon and down toward the creek. The last stretch eases down to the riverbank at the base of the falls.
At the fallsMarble Falls spills over pale marble into a rocky pool, tucked into the canyon walls.
Marble Falls spills over pale marble into a rocky pool, tucked into the canyon walls. Spring snowmelt usually gives the river more force, though the amount of water changes with the year's snowpack. The rocks are slippery and the water can be dangerous. Stay at the base; the scramble upstream to smaller cascades is not part of the mapped route and is especially risky when the river is high.
For a photo, keep the white marble shelf in the foreground and include a slice of canyon wall for scale. You don't need to climb onto the wet rocks to get the defining view.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Sequoia
691 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
17 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
18 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
15 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
20 sightingsSpotted OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Sequoia. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
