Water is scarce in the desert, and waterfalls are even scarcer.
Many narrow desert canyons have dry waterfalls, or dryfalls, that only run when it rains, but there are a number of desert waterfalls that flow anywhere from always to occasionally. Coming up are the best places to see them.
Darwin Falls, California
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Fed by natural springs, this waterfall in Death Valley National Park flows all year. It actually consists of a lower fall, a series of middle cascades, and an upper fall. An easy trail leads to a view of the lower fall. The higher, more spectacular upper fall isn’t far away but can be a mini-adventure getting to.
Icebox Canyon, Nevada
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Just west of Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (RRCNCA), has several long, deep canyons, many of which feature running water and waterfalls for much of the year. A moderately strenuous hike leads to a tall waterfall in Icebox Canyon. It usually dries up by late spring, though, as it’s mostly fed by snowmelt higher up, so make sure to visit during the peak viewing times.
Oak Creek Canyon, Nevada
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South of Icebox Canyon and reached by the same park road in RRCNCA, Oak Creek Canyon maintains flow for most of the year. It has several waterfalls, and seeing all of them requires exploring both the northern and southern forks of the canyon.
Orderville Canyon, Utah
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The famous “hike” up the Virgin River Narrows in Zion National Park needs little introduction. A few miles in, though, where the canyon is at its narrowest and most spectacular, Orderville Canyon joins from the east. You can go up this slot canyon, passing some waterfalls until reaching one that’s too high and steep for most people to climb. Experienced canyoneers using technical gear like to descend Orderville and exit via the Narrows.
Calf Creek Falls, Utah
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Southern Utah is known as “Color Country” for all the different hues of sandstone found there. An easy, well-marked trail in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) ends at Lower Calf Creek Falls, a true desert gem. There’s also an Upper Calf Creek Falls, but it’s accessed from a different spot, harder to get to, and not as scenic.
Coyote Gulch, Utah
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Located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Coyote Gulch is a tributary of the Escalante River, and a trail runs through the best of it, where there are several small waterfalls. Other scenic highlights include huge natural sandstone arches and sheer cliffs.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
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For much of its length, the main road through this park follows the Fremont River. Near the eastern boundary, there’s a small waterfall on the north side of the road. It’s not as spectacular as most others on this list, but it’s still pretty and worth a stop.
Ribbon Falls, Arizona
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You’re going to have to work for this one. The shortest way to it is a 6-mile hike down the North Kaibab Trail from the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park. That may not sound too bad, but the return hike is hot and very steep. The reward, though, is a 100’ waterfall dropping into a pool that feels great on a hot day.
Havasu Canyon, Arizona
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A tributary of the Grand Canyon, Havasu Canyon comes in from the south. Most of it is on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, and you’ll even hike through the actively inhabited village of Havasupai as you descend the canyon. Beyond the village are three spectacular waterfalls, with Havasu Falls being the first and most famous.
Grand Falls, Arizona
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Often dry, snowmelt or a heavy rain can turn Grand Falls into a raging monster as it pours into the Little Colorado River below. Remote and difficult to get to, not that many people, relatively speaking, have beheld this waterfall in person.
Sitting Bull Falls, New Mexico
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Not far from Carlsbad Caverns as the crow flies but a long trip by car, Sitting Bull Falls is fed by springs and runs all year. There’s a nice pool at the base of this high waterfall, and wading in it feels great on hot summer days.
Hamilton Pool, Texas
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The Texas Hill Country is technically not desert, but it’s been so hot and dry for the past several years that many residents say it’s starting to feel like one. Hamilton Pool is an Austin-area treasure and popular swimming hole, so popular that you need reservations now. A 60’ waterfall drops over the top and into the pool, but its volume is heavily dependent on recent water levels.
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