Hiking is among the most popular recreational activities for both residents and visitors alike in the Bay Area. With the plethora of spectacular mountainous areas and amazing trails, how can it not be?

One of the biggest payoffs along a lot of the trails is enjoying a beautiful Northern California waterfall. Dawn Falls is one of them.

Dawn Falls is located within the 193-acre Baltimore Canyon Preserve that, although a secluded canyon, is well-known for its trails and scenic beauty.
Adam Dexter/AllTrails
Just about a 30-minute drive from Larkspur, the preserve offers amazing views of the surrounding Bay Area.
Getting here requires a relatively short (less than a mile and a half) mild to moderately strenuous hike via the aptly named Dawn Falls Trail.
Corina Mora/AllTrails
Dawn Falls cascades down some 30 feet between the towering redwoods that make this area so awe-inspiring.
Like most waterfalls, the amount and force of the water vary with the seasons and weather...
M&M/AllTrails
... but when Dawn Falls is cascading near full force it is a sight to behold, making it one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the region.

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The rock formations carved from decades of erosion create a dramatic effect.
Martin Bishop/AllTrails
Some of the soaring redwood trees here are thought to be hundreds of years old, if not older.
Addie G/AllTrails
Imagine gazing up at their striking beauty from the cool swimming hole below.
Go ahead. Tiptoe in and enjoy!
Nilesh Doctor/AllTrails
Dogs can be off-leash within the preserve so your furry friend might decide to swim with you too.
Enjoy this jaunt through nature to reach this hidden gem waterfall in Northern California.
AllTrails David Whitman

If you’d like to enjoy one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the San Francisco Bay Area, be sure to add Dawn Falls to your recreational itinerary.

Have you been to Dawn Falls? If so, we’d love to see your photos and hear about your experience there.

Northern California is also home to several wonderful waterfalls where no hiking is required.

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Baltimore Canyon, Larkspur, CA 94939, USA