Chamberlain Creek Waterfall

A quiet trail for a mini adventure

Strolling through the woods

You know that joy that comes with going down little back country roads you’re unfamiliar with? You feel like an intrepid explorer as you bump over the uneven pavement of a tight corner, or as you pass from a tunnel of trees out into an idyllic pasture at the bottom of a sweet and miniscule valley, or as you watch the dust from a gravelly dirt road billow up in your rearview mirror.  Such is the joy we find when we go driving out here in Mendocino, and such was the feeling we experienced when we made our way out to Chamberlain Creek Waterfall a few days ago.

Gee, that’s a tall tree

We drove the 17 miles east up Highway 20 (17.4 miles if you want to be precise!) to the Dunlap Conservation Camp, chatting and laughing as we wound through the gorgeous, towering redwoods of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Just on the east side of the Chamberlain Creek bridge, we turned north onto Road 200, which was marked with a wooden post, and began our adventure. Of course, the adventure was made a little less uncertain by the excellent wooden posts signing the way to stay on Road 200, even at a split in the road a little over 1 mile up. We watched the creek tumble by below us as we crept along the one-car track and gazed up at the foggily subdued light filtering through the leaves of the alder and tanoak that were reaching up between the redwoods. And all of a sudden, we were there! 4.7 miles after we left Highway 20, the west shoulder flattened out and widened enough for a couple cars to park alongside the top of some wooden stairs.

The stairs lead the way

We peaked over the edge of the hill and saw the stairs traipsing away down below us, the sign on the first landing happily announcing that this was indeed the Chamberlain Creek Waterfalls Trail. The stairs looked good and the railings solid, so down into the little canyon we went. It was a lovely walk switching back and forth along the steep slope, with interesting old stumps and fallen snags decorating the trail. After only about a third of a mile, we turned a corner, and there was the waterfall before us! Well… it would have been a waterfall if it wasn’t the middle of summer. It would probably be more correct to label it a water trickle at this point in the year, but we stood and imagined coming up on the 50-foot stream of water after the rains of winter and spring, and it was stunning in our heads.

It was hard to get in the whole face of the rock where the water was still trickling down…

The magical grove, with the waterfall at our backs

Even without much water though, the grove in which the waterfall was located was worth a visit in and of itself. It felt almost like the kind of place where a fairy or a woodland nymph would hide away from the noise of humankind – tucked away and nestled into the heart of the forest. We turned in slow circles and gazed in delight. From the bubbling of the stream at our feet to the tippy-tops of the trees far overhead, it was incredibly beautiful and serene.

Traipsing along a trunk…

After gazing our fill, we wandered on past the falls, following the trail a little ways up the narrow forest canyon. More in the mood for a simple stroll than a hike, we bypassed the split leading up near the top of the waterfall and stayed along the lower trail. We walked the length of fallen giants, peaked into dark and hidden hollows, wondered aloud at the tenacity of half dead trees that had been blackened by lightning long ago and yet still clung to life. We meandered. We opened our eyes and ears and simply absorbed the woods. It was magical.

Just stoppin’ and gazin’

It was still magical as we retraced our steps and headed back out to the car, and the feeling lingered even as we pulled away and watched the dust billow up behind us once more. Once again we watched the creek tumble by below and the overcast skies giving light to the variegated leaves overhead. And still, even though we knew we were heading home, that little spark of joyous adventure was there, tucked away just inside our ribcage.

Looks like this redwood needed to lean in and rest on this rock a little bit

While we always love a fun little walk in lesser-traveled parts of the woods, no matter the time of year, for maximum effect we would recommend trying out this trail in later spring, when the waterfall will be more full with the recent rains.

Want to get in a waterfall hike that’s not quite so much of a drive? Russian Gulch, while more heavily hiked, is also truly lovely.

Words & pictures by Laura Hockett