Trail Review: Tokopah Falls, Sequoia National Park
Parking: Free parking spaces on Lodgepole Road. Sequoia National Park does have a $35 entrance fee. More about the park fees HERE.
Distance: 4.0 miles out & back
Tokopah Falls is a magnificent waterfall in the Sequoia National Park that is actually pretty easy to get to. The trail is well marked and family friendly. The trail starts at the Lodgepole campground upper loop, which is just east of the Lodgepole Visitor Center. Either because of the off-peak season or because of Covid restrictions, the visitor center was not open when we were there. There were bathrooms, however, near the campground which were helpful.
There were plenty of parking spaces available on Lodgepole Road, before the bridge that leads into the campground. Once you cross over the bridge though, we're pretty sure the parking spaces were reserved for the camps. The trail begins right after the bridge on the eastern side. There is a wooden sign marking the trailhead that reads "Tokopah Valley Trail".
The path follows along the northern edge of the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, so you'll get some pretty great views of the river as you go along. The trail, for the most part, is shaded until you are almost at the falls. The incline is fairly gradual and there are stone steps in the path from time to time. I only recall one minor creek crossing. The wider crossings had bridges built in. Overall, not a difficult hike at all.
The last quarter of a mile or so becomes quite rocky and exposed, a marked difference from the rest of the hike. There are some narrower sections here so it may take some maneuvering if there are a lot of people on the trail. During this part though, you'll definitely be able to see your destination. As you get closer and closer to the falls, it just becomes more and more awe-inspiring.
One of the cool parts of this hike was that we were actually looking up at the Watchtower, the trail we were on a few days earlier when we hiked to Heather Lake. Now, instead of looking down onto the river from above, we were looking up to the cliffs.
As you come up to the final viewpoint of the falls, you'll see a sign that says "steep cliffs make travel dangerous beyond this point". Feel free to stay here and enjoy the view. We certainly did. A few people seemed to be more adventurous and climbed the rocks to get closer. It's all about comfort level and capabilities! Also, if there are a lot of people, you may have to wait your turn to get the best spots for views and photos.
We saw a couple marmots slinking through the rocks near the falls. They were too quick to snap a photo of though.
When you've finished enjoying Tokopah Falls, just head back the way you came!
Bottom Line: A fairly easy and enjoyable trail to a very big waterfall in Sequoia National Park.
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