Niagara Creek Falls: The Sierra's Last Hidden Gem
It's right there in plain view, but you won't see it. No one does.
Upper Cascades, Niagara Creek Falls
It’s the Central Sierra’s very own Niagara Falls, where seasonal Niagara Creek spectacularly drops into Donnell Lake in California's Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. You can see it at Donnell Vista when the Sonora Pass Highway opens in the spring until early-to-mid July, when the creek runs dry.
It’s a beautiful cascading waterfall with a height of somewhere between 700 and 900 feet, no one really knows for sure. In fact, no one knows much of anything about the falls or the rugged and virtually inaccessible canyon it inhabits.
And no one has extensively photographed the falls. Except me.
So here’s my story, along with detailed instructions on locating and photographing this worthy and challenging target.
In the Beginning…
It all started on a beautiful day in May back in 2009 at our cabin in Groveland, CA. A story buried in the back of the Sonora Union Democrat briefly mentioned “California’s Niagara Falls.” It said the waterfall could be seen at the Donnell Vista on CA Highway 108, the Sonora Pass Highway, 15 miles east of Strawberry. It also said May was the prime viewing month.
Donnell Vista Entrance
I thought “Why not?” and headed up. It was easy to find along the Sonora Pass Highway, a scenic Sierra route.
Donnell Vista
What I found was a great little roadside park with paved trails, picnic tables, informative signs, clean restrooms, and a large concrete viewing patio overlooking Donnell Lake. It has since been renovated.
Donnell Vista paved trail map
And the view is stunning. Donnell Lake partially fills two miles of a narrow and rocky canyon. Steep cliffs surround nearly the entire lake perimeter, making it virtually inaccessible.
Donnell Lake from the paved vista point
Setting Out
On that first visit, I took to the trails, which meander through the entire area. I saw great views of the beautiful lake, canyon, and nearby Dardanelles.
But no waterfall.
I persisted, covering every inch of every trail, scanning Donnell Lake for some sign of the waterfall.
Nada. Zip. Nothing.
"Where’s the Waterfall?"
Other than a pretty creek fall right below the paved lake view, I found nothing remotely resembling a waterfall.
“Am I in the right place?”
Finally, on a sharp turn at the westernmost point on the trail, I caught my first glimpse of Niagara Creek Falls, peeking out from behind the trees that blocked the view elsewhere. I found it! At just over a mile away, it was small and inconspicuous. But there it was! (It's on the left of the photo, look closely.)
Niagara Creek Falls from Donnell Vista
I didn’t have binoculars, but I did have my Sony H1 camera, which has a 12x image-stablized lens. So I zoomed in to find a lovely cascading waterfall that drops about 400 feet in two parallel streams.
Zooming in on Niagara Creek Falls from Donnell Vista
I was at once thrilled and disappointed. Where I was standing was not a great spot, with the nearly hidden falls looking very small, inconspicuous, and uninspiring. To this day, dozens pass by that very spot and completely miss the falls.
"There has to be a better view."
I looked around, and about 300 yards away was an open space out on the granite that had only a few trees, and maybe a better vantage point.
It was a surprisingly difficult scramble over steep, rocky terrain and thick underbrush to the new spot, and it was as close to the canyon rim as I dared go, but I made it. It was much better and remains my favorite viewpoint to this day. Look closely, you’ll see the falls off in the distance.
Vantage point below Donnell Vista
Here’s the view of the upper cascades from this viewpoint. It’s a beautiful view and very photogenic. But what about the two-thirds of the falls below?
Closeup from the new vantage point
This Place Has a History
I found another surprise. The granite was dotted with ancient Mi-Wuk mortar holes, some very large and all very weathered, indicating great age.
Mi-Wuk mortar holes near Donell Vista
They’re all over the area below the vista point. I also found what looked like petroglyphs, including a human stick figure, carved into the granite. I sensed that this place had great significance to the Mi-Wuk people who inhabited the area long ago, and who still reside in Tuolumne County and throughout California.
Sierra Mi-Wuk Encampment. Painting by Albert Bierstadt, 1872.
Over the years, this area has become very special to me. It’s a place of complete solitude and silence, except for the constant wind, and a vast, rugged beauty. It commands respect.
The view below Donnell Vista looking across a broad valley toward The Dardanelles.
On many subsequent visits to Donnell Vista, I always see people, many carrying serious camera gear, wandering past the one or two spots along the trails where you can glimpse the falls. And no one stops. I’ll say “There’s a great waterfall down there,” pointing to the little white spot off in the distance. And the response is always the same: “Wow! That’s amazing! Thanks!”
Donnell Lake
To understand the challenges of photographing Niagara Creek Falls, or even just seeing it, you need to know a little about its home.
Donnell Lake
Donnell Reservoir was completed in 1957 as part of the Tri-Dam Project along the middle fork of the Stanislaus River in the Stanislaus National Forest. It is sometimes referred to as "Donnells." It’s in a steep and rocky canyon, with sheer cliffs and almost no access to the shoreline, making it practically inaccessible. Other than the vista point, no services are available. The ubiquitous cliffs, around 300 to 500 feet high, and the complete lack of trails outside of the vista point make hiking around the canyon rim dauntingly hazardous.
The top of Niagara Creek Falls is both beautiful and tantalizingly frustrating.
Niagara Creek Falls upper cascade.
What does the whole thing look like? My many attempts at finding a close-up and complete view of the falls have always resulted in a series of frustrating dead ends.
I’m not a fan of drones, but…
After many fruitless scrambles to a suitable viewpoint, I finally realized that a drone could be the answer. Just fly it out and back from the vista point, snapping photos and shooting video all along the way.
Let’s be clear: I dislike drones. The best thing I can say about a drone is that the annoying buzz warns you of its approach. But to realize a longtime goal and see Niagara Creek Falls face on and top to bottom, I needed a drone, there would be no other way.
So I got one!
First Flight Over Donnell Lake
Drones are very easy to use (I’d say too easy), and I got the hang of it after just a few flights over the lake and pine forests near our cabin in Groveland.
I downloaded the “Before You Fly” app which tells you if it’s legal to fly and what local restrictions are in place, and I follow that religiously. After a few flights, I felt ready to head up Sonora Pass and shoot Niagara Creek Falls. It turns out to be legal to fly at Donnell Vista and over the lake, so I was good to go.
Take One – Vision Accomplished!
When I got to Donnel Vista I was really nervous, convinced that my new drone would just fly away and never be seen again. But that didn’t happen. My first flight, just over a mile out, was an unqualified success.
Here's a photo gallery of from that first flight.
Take Two – Whoops…
The plan was for two flyovers, one for photos and one for video. The video session didn’t quite go so well.
When flying a drone for any distance, after a surprisingly short time you can’t see or hear it, which is very disconcerting. All you have is the screen on your controller. On my second flight, the controller went blank after it got near the falls.
Panic.
The instructions said if your controller loses contact with the drone, do nothing – it will just fly back “home.”
Thankfully that’s what happened. So no harm done, but also no epic video. It’s now a project for this spring, when the water is raging. I’ll update this post when it happens.
Finding and Photographing Niagara Creek Falls
Niagara Creek Falls is a challenging target but worth the time and effort. The most important thing is to exercise caution if you decide to go off-trail to a viewpoint.
If you attempt a drone flight from the Vista Point, make sure to check ahead and abide by any restrictions, which can change during the day.
Google Map, Niagara Creek Falls and Donnell Vista
I put together a Google Map to assist in locating Niagara Creek Falls, Donnell Vista, and places for viewing and photographing the falls.
Advice for Photographers
Niagara Creek Falls is a difficult target to capture. It's over a mile away from viewpoints at or near Donnell Vista. It's usually quite hazy. It is often very windy all day. But if you persist and come prepared, your photo expedition should be successful, especially with a modern DSLR or full-frame camera with at least a 200mm zoom lens, and 400mm or more for close-ups.
Here are a few guidelines that have worked for me over the years:
- Use a sturdy tripod, external shutter release, and a long telephoto lens. Both of my cameras have 600mm lenses, yours should be at least 200mm.
- Use a combination of short shutter speeds to freeze detail on the falls, and longer shutter speeds to capture a flowing effect.
- Don’t overexpose. Set your exposure to maximize detail in the falls.
- Modern smartphones should give you great environmental images and adequate close-ups, depending on your phone model.
And a few tips for your safety and comfort:
- BE VERY CAREFUL! People have disappeared in this remote and rugged area over the years. If you tumble over the edge, that will probably be your final resting place.
- At Donnell Vista, walk the trails, looking toward the west. The waterfall visibility changes from year to year and you might get lucky.
- If you don’t see anything from the trail, consider making the short scramble out to the spot indicated on the Google Map. If you attempt that:
- Wear blue jeans or other sturdy pants, leaving nothing exposed. No shorts.
- Wear sturdy hiking boots.
- Be very mindful of the canyon rim and stay well away from the edge.
- Once you get out a short distance onto the granite, you’ll see the falls on the left as you look down Donnell Lake. Refer to the Google Map.
- Bring sunscreen and insect repellent.
Drones
It’s legal to use a drone at Donnell Vista, and you can do that from the paved trail, no need to scramble out to a good viewpoint.
While you can legally fly over the vista point and Donnell Lake, you can’t legally fly over the wilderness area across the lake. Check your drone app and only fly over legal areas and follow altitude restrictions.
- Find the spot on the paved trail indicated on the Google Map and fly there, no scrambling needed.
- Take video and still images.
- Be mindful of the terrain – you can lose your connection easily, perhaps losing your drone in the process, depending on the model.
- If you “turn the corner” into the nitch where the falls are, you are likely to lose your connection. So stay back.
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