The 10 Best Cliff Jumping Spots in California
California has 40 documented cliff jumping spots on CliffScout, 32 of them community-verified. These are the standouts — ranked by verification, documentation, and community activity, not hype. Every listing links to a full page with photos, heights, and access notes.
California spans more cliff jumping terrain than any other state. In the north, granite-lined rivers dominate — the South Yuba (Hoyt's and Edwards Crossings), the American at Knights Ferry, the McCloud Falls and Burney Falls country, plus Sierra swimming holes like Bassi Falls and Gods Bath. Lake Tahoe's coves draw summer jumpers. In the south, the scene is creeks and coast: Aztec Falls and Deep Creek in the San Bernardino Mountains, Malibu Creek's Rock Pool, Tar Creek near Fillmore, and the sea cliffs of La Jolla and Corona del Mar. Mountain water stays cold year-round; coastal spots depend on tide.
- 1
No Hands Bridge Verified
Auburn
No Hands Bridge is the historic Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge (1912), a quarter mile downstream of where the North and Middle Forks of the American River meet in Auburn State Recreation Area. Reach it via Highway 49 south of… Full guide →
- 2
Burney Falls Verified
Burney
Burney Falls, in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park near Burney, CA (via CA-299 E then CA-89 N, about 6 miles from town), is one of California's most photographed waterfalls, fed partly by underground springs. Swimming and… Full guide →
- 3
Salmon Hole Verified
Chico
Salmon Hole is a Big Chico Creek swimming and cliff-jumping hole in Upper Bidwell Park, just downstream of Bear Hole, reached by a steep, unrailed climb down from the Yahi Trail that keeps it quieter than its neighbor. Water… Full guide →
- 4
Knights Ferry Verified
Knights Ferry · jumps 40–100 ft
Knights Ferry Recreation Area sits on the Stanislaus River beside the 1863 Knights Ferry covered bridge—the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi—off Sonora Road near Oakdale, with a visitor center, parking, and… Full guide →
- 5
The Clam (Dead Man's Cliff), La Jolla Verified
La Jolla
The Clam is a real, well-known cluster of sea cliffs in La Jolla where the coastline curves into a clamshell shape; jumps here range from a roughly 35-foot ledge called The Point up to the approximately 107-foot Dead Man's Cliff.… Full guide →
- 6
McCloud Falls Verified
McCloud · jumps 12–50 ft
McCloud Falls comprises three waterfalls—Lower, Middle, and Upper—along the McCloud River in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, east of the town of McCloud off Highway 89. Free day-use parking lots and a riverside trail (about 3… Full guide →
- 7
Middle Falls (McCloud River) Verified
McCloud
Middle Falls is the showpiece of the McCloud River Falls loop in Shasta-Trinity National Forest — a wide, ~50 ft curtain waterfall pouring into a large pool, a quarter-mile walk from the free Middle Falls day-use lot off Highway… Full guide →
- 8
Yuba River Verified
Penn Valley · jumps ~50 ft
This pin sits at Bridgeport in South Yuba River State Park, home of the 1862 Bridgeport Covered Bridge spanning the South Yuba River near Penn Valley. The park offers swimming and river access with parking at the North and South… Full guide →
- 9
Emerald Bay Verified
South Lake Tahoe
Emerald Bay State Park, on Lake Tahoe's southwest shore, has two named cliff-jumping pools along Eagle Creek above the bay, reached via the roughly 1-mile trail down to Vikingsholm or by boat into the bay itself. The lower pool… Full guide →
- 10
Mojave River Dam Spillway (Deep Creek confluence) Verified
Apple Valley · jumps 15–35 ft
This spot sits within the Mojave River Dam basin near Hesperia, at the spillway where Deep Creek meets the West Fork Mojave River. The submitted coordinates pointed to Hesperia Lake Park, several miles north; the actual jump pool… Full guide →
Exact coordinates, water depths, and community clips for every spot above:
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Cliff jumping in California: common questions
What are the best cliff jumping spots in California?
Up north: the South Yuba River, McCloud Falls, Burney Falls, Knights Ferry, and Gods Bath. Around Tahoe: the east-shore coves. Down south: Aztec Falls (Deep Creek), Malibu Creek Rock Pool, Tar Creek, and the La Jolla / Corona del Mar sea cliffs.
Is cliff jumping legal in California?
Many river and lake spots are tolerated, but some — like Malibu Creek Rock Pool — are posted and ticketed, and a few have been closed after accidents. Check signs and local rules before you jump.
Is the water cold at California cliff jumping spots?
Sierra and NorCal river spots are cold even in summer (snowmelt-fed). Lake Tahoe is frigid year-round. SoCal creeks and the coast are milder in late summer.
Browse the full list: all 40 spots in California