This is an especially fun family day trip. The 50 foot waterfalls tickle the kids and it is a short, mostly shady, hike. Then for the heat of the day enjoy the swimming holes back toward the bridge with room to sun in, shade to picnic, and natural pools to swim and fish. Near Auburn.
The 2.8 mile out and back trail heads downriver along North Fork American River, near Weimar, and ends at the beautiful year round 40-50 foot waterfall and creek.
Parking is alongside the dirt road that is in car condition this August, 2012.
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Codfish Falls also known as Codfish Creek Fallsis reportedly 40-50 feet high.There are large flat boulder areas beside the falls,great for picnicking in the shade! but it's well maintained to the falls and gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Perfect! I have seen families with all ages of children here.  to the pleasant atmosphere for just hanging out. |
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| There is a trail less maintained that heads uphill to a boulder that two can comfortably sit on and view the falls, hidden from the visitors below. Of course, fun wildlife lives back there! |
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| I may not recommend it, but I bushwhacked up the other side of the falls. The rocks are slippery and the blackberry vines get prickly! A person gives you some perspective on the height of the falls. Find Peach Hiker at the falls! |
Back at the bridge,
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| Families can find areas near the shoreline to swim and picnic. |
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| There is plenty of room to get comfortable and cast out some lines. The couple is Brandon and Jen. We caught a nice trout, |
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| and well, a frog that day! |
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| That's me, Peachy Hiker with my fishing pole enjoying the sun and company! |
Get out your poles and fishing gear.
Pack a picnic and your swimming stuff,
to have a perfect family day!
Directions:
From Highway 80 (east of Auburn), exit at Weimar Cross Road.
Turn right onto Ponderosa Way, heading south. (Stay to the right at Cross Road. )
Drive south for 5.8 miles down the canyon.
2.5 miles before the river the road becomes a dirt road that is suitable for most cars at this time.
This is now a fee area. They are collected by park rangers at the top at the dirt road. You will see park personnel there and at the river. Carry your fishing license.
To go to the falls,
Start hiking downriver from the bathrooms. Just follow the trail and you'll find the falls.
To swim and fish, there are quite a few places to get down to the river. Across the bridge is where we fished and swam.
More hikes for you in this area:
ASRA ~ Auburn State Recreation
District
BLM ~ Bureau of Land Management
Thanks so much, Peachy! My roots in the area are that my mother's side of family settled in Placerville in 1850s (her maternal) and 1880s (her paternal), then Cool, where her parents bought 500 acres ranch while he drove dynamite trucks to mines in area and she taught in Weimar at sanitarium, then re-opened the one-room schoolhouse at Spanish Dry Diggin's near Georgetown. Schoolhouse still was there in 1950s, but I can't say if is today. In about 1946-7 I remember the upgrading of the ranch house in Cool to have concrete and rock piers plus the bullfrogs and perch stocked by my mother in the reservoir they carved into the land on the tiny creek through the ranch. Ranch bought by the Thousands Trails group that mis-anticipated the completion of the Auburn Dam. We used to swim regularly at the confluence of the river forks, preferring the evening for the warmer water. Boys jumped off old bridge back then. Seems Mother's favorite flowers were the Calochortus types of globe lily and Mariposa Lilies found on ranch and along roads to Georgetown and to Placerville. Part of family settled around Coloma. Now revisiting area from the Bay Area, all of that region from Weimar - Placerville - Auburn - Georgetown - Sonora and Colombia for my wife's family roots, plus Duncan Hill south of Auburn where Grandfather retired and built a smaller farm, filled in a gold mine that was on the property, then sold about 10 surrounding lots for view homes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all that history! It personalizes the area, rather than simply a day hiking visitor!
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