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Oroville Outdoor Adventurer Hiking National Forests

Explore the Scenic Feather Falls: Butte County's Grandest Waterfall

November 05, 2025 (Originally published February 27, 2024)
feather-falls-landscape-waterfall-hiking_oroville-ca
Gunnar Loveland

If you are explor­ing North­ern Cal­i­for­ni­a’s hik­ing trails and water­falls, Feath­er Falls belongs at the top of your list.

The impres­sive water­fall, often described as a Yosemite-style cas­cade with­out the crowds, fea­tures a dra­mat­ic 410-foot drop in a stun­ning Sier­ra Neva­da set­ting. The chal­leng­ing 7 – 9 mile hike (depend­ing on your cho­sen route) takes you through beau­ti­ful moun­tain scenery to two dra­mat­ic water­fall lookouts.

One vis­it, and you’ll see for your­self why this Butte Coun­ty favorite is also one of Cal­i­for­ni­a’s best waterfalls.

Explore the Scenic Feather Falls: Butte County's Grandest Waterfall
Gunnar Loveland

Post-Fire Vis­i­ta­tion: Prepar­ing for the Trail

In the wake of the North Com­plex Fire in 2020, the land­scape of the Feath­er Falls trail has changed. What was once a dense, shad­ed for­est jour­ney now reveals an exposed, recov­er­ing ecosystem.

  • Be Pre­pared: The trail is now ful­ly exposed to the ele­ments. Vis­i­tors should pre­pare with ade­quate sun pro­tec­tion, plen­ty of water, and snacks.
  • Safe­ty: Always hike with a trav­el buddy.
  • Restora­tion: The For­est Ser­vice com­plet­ed com­pre­hen­sive trail restora­tion in 2025, rebuild­ing bridges and obser­va­tion plat­forms to safe­ly reopen the area to visitors.

Choos­ing Your Route to Feath­er Falls

Hik­ers can choose between tak­ing in the falls from the main over­look or hik­ing to the top for a dra­mat­ic view and access to the beau­ti­ful Fall Riv­er that feeds the falls. 

There are two options to reach the Feath­er Falls over­look. The trails diverge 1⁄3 mile past the trailhead:

  • The Chal­leng­ing Ascent (Expe­ri­enced Hik­ers): Take the steep 3.3 mile path to the west, which fea­tures about two miles of con­tin­u­ous uphill grade. Allow a min­i­mum of four to five hours to hike the nine-mile loop.
  • The Longer, Eas­i­er Climb (Inex­pe­ri­enced Hik­ers): Take the gen­tly slop­ing 4.5 mile path to the east.

The two trails con­verge approx­i­mate­ly 1⁄2 mile before reach­ing the Feath­er Falls obser­va­tion deck. 

Hydra­tion Tip: Restrooms and non-potable water are avail­able at the trail­head, but bring drink­ing water or a water puri­fi­er for the long hike.

Lady­bug Alert

Every year, typ­i­cal­ly between Novem­ber and March, mil­lions of migrat­ing lady­bugs call Frey Creek home, so keep your eyes open along the 9‑mile Feath­er Falls route.

Direc­tions from Oroville

Leav­ing from Oroville at Oro-Dam Blvd. and High­way 70:

  • Turn Right at Oro-Quin­cy High­way (Hwy 162) and dri­ve for 7.3 miles
  • Turn Right at Forbestown Rd. and dri­ve for 5.1 miles
  • Turn Left at Lump­kin Rd. and dri­ve for 10.5 miles
  • Turn Left at 21N35Y; the trail­head will be 1 mile ahead