Codfish Falls Trail is a 2.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Foresthill, California that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
This hike is amazing right in early spring before the creeks dry up and the flowers and grass are gone. There are a couple side trails down to the river, and in summer it is great for swimming. Great hike. It's narrow, so weekends (when the trail is more crowded) are not ideal, but doable. The road to get there is a very difficult drive. Ideally you will have 4WD or a car with clearance. Signage at the trailhead limits parking. The only place to park is the side of the road and, on weekends, the line of cars can get long enough to block part of the road. If you do this, you are risking a ticket. $10 to park.
April 12, 2021Road Down: I took ponderosa way down and I think the road is very well maintained until you get closer to the bridge where you park (out of the way of course). Wouldn’t recommend taking a car / lower vehicle since this is a steep dirt one way road. The Trail: very well maintained and easy to follow. You’re along the American river and it is absolutely beautiful. Perfect spot for a swim by the bridge at the beginning of the hike! Falls have nice areas to hangout and relax. Overall a great time. Arrived later in the day approx. 1:15pm and there was plenty of parking ! Only person on the trail. Only car down at the bottom.
April 6, 2021Beautiful day and the water was so clear and cool. Not a swimming spot because of the current. My dog loved the trail and there weren’t many animals or people at this spot. Definitely be mindful of the gravel road and some potholes in deciding which vehicle to take though.
April 4, 2021This trail is a fairytale in real life with wildflowers along the trail ending with a small waterfall. Yes, the trail is narrow but it gives a sense of being immersed in nature. Yes, there is a three mile gravel road which you should definitely not take a small car (I have a crossover) but it is a small sacrifice for the natural beauty. Overall, I think this a wonderful place and if you pick up the pamphlet, you can learn so much about the flora and fauna.
March 31, 2021Nice trail along the river, but it’s fairly narrow and there was a bit of poison oak just off the trail so wear pants. It’s not crazy high but if you are afraid of heights like my daughter it may not be for you because there are a couple spots that are quite close to the edge. The falls and the flowers were beautiful and a nice pay off. As far as the drive to get to the trail we went down the Foresthill side of the canyon and the road was in better condition than I expected but I would not take a car with low clearance.
March 29, 2021Great short hike. Narrow trail. Kinda off the edge but nothing too bad. Really pretty view most of the time by the water. The trail ends at a waterfall then you walk back out! Beautiful flowers this time of year. Plenty of shade and plenty of sun. Not a lot of incline just flat so would rate it as easy. The road there is a trip! It’s like a windy road for about a couple miles where you can’t see around the corner when your turning and it’s a one lane type of dirt road. We just honked going around the corners to be safe. Once you get to the destination there’s a ton of signs that say NO parking but that’s where everyone seems to park. There’s no pay station, bridge is closed, and you either park there and hike or turn around. Up to you! Loved this hike
March 27, 2021Great for kids. Very easy. Tons of wildflowers to look at and places to stop and play in the water. Waterfall at the end really cute. This would be a good trail to run on however I went with a kid and it was still enjoyable going slow. I will say you’ll need an all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicle getting there and there’s not much parking. Turn around a little sketchy for larger trucks but doable.
March 24, 2021Great short trail to venture on, and even better when you go in the morning or during the week. The wildflowers are beginning to bloom and the waterfall at the end is beautiful. Don’t try coming down Ponderosa if you don’t have a 4W vehicle.
March 23, 2021Such a lovely trail, especially during this time of year. Flowers were blooming, butterflies were flying & the waterfall was flowing! Brought my toddler along and she had a blast. Aside from a narrow path in the beginning, it’s a great hike for little adventurers! Beautiful hike, would definitely recommend.
March 23, 2021Definitely would not recommend the drive for a sedan. Drove it when it was dry and it was still terrifying. The trail itself is okay, pretty open but nice views of the river, and the waterfall was lovely of course. Main plus was that we had the place to ourselves going in November. Don’t really see the appeal if it’s busy during the summer though, there’s not enough shade and it’s hard to access.
March 16, 2021I hoped after the rains the waterfall would be flowing. It exceeded my expectations. It was beautiful. I was the only one there for a good hour. Went in the morning. The Weimar route was a bust, gate was closed. But the Foresthill route was open. The last 2.5 miles to the trail was as they say, rough. A low clearance vehicle would struggle for sure. Weather was absolutely perfect. Also, dogs ARE allowed. They need To update that part on the app.
March 15, 2021Beautiful easy trail. The sign at the start of the dirt road says the bridge is closed, but you can still drive down and park close to the bridge. Currently you can still just walk across the bridge and the trailhead starts there. The wildflowers were in full bloom and the falls had plenty of water. Road down is bumpy and you would need AWD or 4WD if it had recently rained. Also if you are afraid of heights the trail does get narrow with mild cliffs.
March 7, 2021February 28, 2021Trail is lovely. Road to get their is pretty rough and tumbly. I took my Honda Fit and made it
February 27, 2021The road was closed for service until 2022. We tried to walk it, but it’s over two miles of switchbacks. I saw another review mention another access point, but I didn’t know until I made it back home because my phone wasn’t working near the trail. I’m super disappointed.
February 25, 2021February 4, 2021A quiet, hard to reach area of the American river. The hike is a stroll along the river to a creek with a gorgeous fern grotto waterfall. Quick snd easy. Though some of the trail is very narrow.
November 26, 2020Peaceful and tranquil trail
June 28, 2020Amazing trail. The water falls are small but really beautiful. I recommend to bring plenty of water and some snacks, specially hiking with children. There are plenty of nice spots to chill down in the river. As others mentioned, the road to get there is rough. A 4WD or AWD vehicle is highly recommended. I have a 2WD SUV and had some issues on the way out.
June 22, 2020I saw the other reviews mentioning the road to get here and went in an off roading Jeep just to be prepared- but I didn’t really need it. The road is rough but if you have all wheel you can do it. Many cars did the same day i went. Parking is limited, would recommend getting there early. The trail is easy and fairly flat but does have a lot of unshaded parts. The falls are small but worth it! Water at both the falls and river is delightful, especially on a hot day. Would recommend if you need to take a dip to cool off!
June 13, 2020Make sure your car has good tires...its a bumpy dirt road for 15 to 20 minutes to get there. Good place for a light hike and a picnic lunch.
June 3, 2020short enjoyable hike trail is a bit narrow the waterfall is picture worthy. parking is limited need a 4WD or AWD to access the trail
June 3, 2020The trail was overall pretty good. A little hot but there are plenty of spots to stop in the shade along the trail. The trail wasn’t bad at all, it was pretty easy. My kids(5 & 7) had no problems. We saw two snakes a lot of lizards and a few frogs at the falls. The falls aren’t huge but amazing and nice to cool off in once you are there. Cooled off in the river at the parking lot before we left. We drove in off the forest hill side and drove out the opposite direction toward I80. The drive in wasn’t bad at all. The drive out wasn’t bad either. There are plenty of spots that are washed out, but there were quite a few cars that came that way. Saw two ladies drive down in a car as we were leaving, so it’s not that treacherous. Just be cautious and go slow. I have an SUV and had absolutely no problems.
May 25, 2020Another reviewer had called the road to the trail "treacherous" and I thought they were being dramatic. They were not being dramatic. The three-mile final road down to the trail, if you really want to call it a road, is not serviced by the county and is mostly craters between dirt on the edge of a cliff. I would not recommend this if you do not have an SUV or truck with all-wheel-drive. Truly on the way down, we feared for our lives and thought "perhaps this is meant to be the trail?" The drive is that scary. The hike itself was very pleasant with good shade. The waterfall was stunning, and the hike was long enough where you feel like you've accomplished something. Great wildlife, including stunning butterflies, wildflowers, and lizards. The river looked great to swim in, and there are trash bins at the trailhead and port-a-potties if you need.
May 25, 2020Great for kids. Short, great waterfall and the river was awesome. Enter the park from the Forrest hill road. Much easier to drive into canyon.
May 17, 2020The only reason I have given it 3 starts is for the waterfall! The drive down the mountain is extremely narrow and is a 2 way road with room for only one car. We literally started to slide when another car passed. Once you actually get a a parking spot and walk towards the trail it looks nice until you have to climb up a huge rock and round narrow passages ways were you can’t even put your feet side by side. I do not recommend for children at all !!! Website says 2.8 miles round trip ours says 3.5 miles !
