What makes Phantom Falls special
Phantom Falls, also known as Coal Canyon Falls, is a 166-foot waterfall at Coal Canyon near Oroville, California, within the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve. It runs off the edge of the canyon in front of a grotto, and a small pool at the bottom is home to a California newt subspecies, the Coastal Range newt. The fall is a seasonal one, and the season is the story.
Phantom Falls runs only in the rainy months, late autumn to early spring. In the dry season it disappears altogether, which is how it got its name. Come in winter, after rain, and the canyon edge is running; come in summer and there is a dry cliff and an empty grotto. Few falls make the timing of a visit matter this much.
Its neighbours are close. Ravine Falls is 0.5 miles away and Ravine Twin Falls 0.5 miles away, so Coal Canyon holds a cluster of falls in a small area, and Phantom is the tallest of them.
Source: Wikipedia
Geology and background
The fall runs off the edge of Coal Canyon, where the table mountain ends and the ground drops away. In front of the fall is a grotto, a hollow in the rock behind the water, and at the bottom is a small pool. The pool is the home of the Coastal Range newt, a subspecies of the California newt, which lives in the water the fall leaves behind when it is running.
Plan your visit
Getting there and parking
- GPS: 39.6105047, -121.5607286 — Get directions
Navigate by coordinates rather than by name. Map apps often send waterfall searches to the wrong parking lot or the far side of the stream, and in a canyon full of falls with similar names that risk is worse than usual. Download an offline map before you lose signal.
Best time and crowds
Come in the rainy months, late autumn to early spring. That is the only time Phantom Falls runs. In the dry season it disappears, and a summer visit will find it gone. No stream gauge is linked to Phantom Falls, so recent rain is your best guide.
This is a quieter fall than the famous ones, and the seasonal window keeps the crowds down. Even so, an early start is the best way to have the canyon to yourself on a good winter weekend.
Safety
Stay on marked trails and behind railings. Wet, mossy rock near the brink is the most common cause of serious injury. Never climb the cascade or stand at the top edge, even when the flow looks gentle. Plunge pools hide cold water, strong currents and submerged logs.
What to bring
- Shoes with real grip
- A rain shell for the spray and the winter weather
- Water and a snack
- An offline map or screenshot
- A dry bag for your phone
- A bag to pack out trash
Practical tips
- Come after rain in winter or early spring: this fall disappears in the dry season.
- Pair it with Ravine Falls, 0.5 miles away, and Ravine Twin Falls, 0.5 miles away.
- Screenshot the directions and these coordinates before you leave town: several falls in this canyon share similar names.
- Look for the grotto in front of the fall and the small pool at the bottom: the newts live there.
Keep exploring
- More waterfalls in California
- Explore California waterfalls
- Ravine Falls (0.5 mi away)
- Ravine Twin Falls (0.5 mi away)
- Lower Ravine Falls (0.8 mi away)
- Explore the map
Leave a waterfall report