Lundy Canyon Waterfalls

Lundy Canyon Waterfalls sit above Lundy Lake just outside Lee Vining, and visitors rate the spot a full 5 stars across 8 reviews. There's no gate and no posted hours — the area is accessible 24 hours a day, every day of the week — and reviewers consistently point to early spring as the best time to go, when runoff is heaviest and the falls are running hardest.

Getting There

There's more than one way in, and reviewers note the route from Lundy Canyon itself is the easiest of the options. If your goal is a clean view of the uppermost waterfall, the recommendation from visitors is to approach from the Twenty Lakes Basin above rather than climbing up from Lundy Lake below.

Steep, Loose, and Worth It

Multiple reviews flag the climb from Lundy Lake toward the top of the falls as genuinely hazardous — steep ground covered in loose shale that shifts underfoot. One visitor called that stretch "very dangerous," and another described the hike up as "super steep and all shale," while still calling it worth the effort for the views. Take it slow, mind your footing on the shale, and don't push a line that feels unstable underfoot.

• Best conditions: early spring, per visitor reports
• Access: open 24 hours, every day
• Bonus stop: at least one reviewer mentions a nearby ice cave