A warm weekend after a big spring rain is the optimal time for a hike to one of the Bay Area’s waterfalls. The map above shows nine of them; more details in the stories linked at the end.

1/ Coal Creek.  Round-trip hike of about 3 miles, starting from Skyline Boulevard. Heads up: The vista point remains closed to parking.

2/ Uvas Canyon. Five waterfalls on a 5-mile loop.

3/ Little Yosemite, Sunol Wilderness. Kid-friendly hike, less than an hour out and back.

4/ Murietta Falls, Ohlone Wilderness. Twelve “brutal” miles out of the Lake Del Valle trailhead, permit required. Be prepared for high water at springtime creek crossings.

5/ Diablo Foothills. Three-mile round trip to seasonal waterfall on Little Yosemite Trail. Yep, another Little Yosemite.

6/ Leona Heights Park. Redwood-filled ravine in Oakland.

7/ Berkeley’s Hidden Waterfall. Poorly kept (but magical!) secret in Codornices Park.

8/ Dawn Falls. Short and pretty walk, starting on Madrone Avenue in Larkspur.

9 & 10/ Cascade Falls. A Marin two-fer — there’s one Cascade Falls in Cascade Canyon Preserve near Fairfax, and another in Mill Valley’s Cascade Park.

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Any list of the Bay Area’s best waterfalls would have to include Big Basin State Park, but its falls are still off limits in the aftermath of the 2020 wildfire.

More waterfall stories:

4 spectacular Bay Area waterfall hikes for winter walks (includes Uvas Canyon, Diablo Foothills, Leona Heights)

Five hikes to catch the last of the Bay Area’s glorious winter waterfalls (includes Uvas Canyon, Coal Creek, Codornices and Mill Valley Cascade)

Marin County waterfalls roar to life after recent rains (includes Dawn, Fairfax Cascade)