Discovering Hidden Falls

It’s a dusty dry day in the foothills, somewhere north of Auburn. The sun has us stripping off our light fleece by 9:30 a.m. and we go bare-armed to the trailhead. I hadn’t thought about a hat when we left home, and I’m already regretting this.

I’m laughing at this bizarre California weather. This is November?

We arrived at Hidden Falls Regional Park after a winding drive through beautiful mountainous wine country and farms dotted with alpacas and goats. GPS is the only reason we made it here, guiding us through turn after turn until signs for the park finally show up.

The goal for the next few hours is walking the oak-studded hills and enjoying the discovery of what’s around the next bend. Of course, our top goal is to see the falls. I’ve heard that because of severe drought conditions, the falls won’t have much water.

The park is huge, encompassing miles of trails over rolling hills and filled with more than two dozen hikes of all lengths and for all ability levels. There’s even a concrete trail that is accessible for wheelchairs, but moderate and difficult trails are to be found here too. Trails branch off from other trails, which branch off again. We quickly find that we could be out here for a few days wandering from trail to trail. It’s best to have a plan and know the trailmap.

A trickle of water can be heard as we cross over Deadman’s Creek, hinting that there may be a vista at the end of our journey. It’s a half-mile flat walk to the falls from the trailhead, but that would be too easy, right? We are with a group and the leader takes the scenic route. So many paths to choose from – Great Egret, Pond Turtle, Grey Pine, Seven Pools Vista, River Otter – all well-marked along the way.

Our group discusses the fact that California does a first-rate job with its parks and trails. It's a priority here to maintain its scenic treasures. Parks are clean, trails are easy to follow, and they don't overpromise. If the marker says there's a vista, it's probably a good one.

Soon enough, we see Coon Creek, take the Seven Pools Loop and then stomp up and over the hill. My black tennis shoes are coated brown from the powdery soil, so dry that it drifts up and sticks to my jeans nearly to my knees.

No bobcat sightings today but a few hawks circle lazily above. Water bottles are quickly emptying and my throat is gritty from the dirt. We pass quickly through a thicket of bright red Manzanita bushes, and then round a corner.

Hidden Falls are revealed.

Water tumbles down over a series of low rocky ledges and the sound fills the narrow canyon. It's not spectacular but it's satisfying. A generous-sized viewing platform easily accommodates our group plus the constant stream of other hikers. The sound of water is cooling and I gratefully sink to the wooden flooring. Before long, more than 25 people and a few dogs are relaxing on the platform, eating lunch and enjoying a sun-sparkled afternoon.

Do I really need to go back? No one except our leader wants to move, but he has put on his backpack. Our group rises in achy protest (or is that just me?). Before long, we have swung into stride, making our way back to the full parking lot. It seems this is a popular place.

Surely we have hiked round the park several times but our leader points out our trek on a large hiking map that shows the park. We have circumnavigated about a tenth of the park.

This seems like a great place to see in late spring for wildflowers and larger water flows. It would be worth the return journey.