From there the narrow road will take you about. The road winds around Fallen Leaf Lake for about 3.5 miles until you make a left at the Fallen Leaf Lake fire station onto Glen Alpine Rd. This becomes a narrow one lane road that you need to drive carefully on. Directions to Glen Alpine Fallsįrom Highway 50 – head north on Highway 89 roughly 3 miles until you make a left onto Fallen Leaf Lake Road, just past Camp Richardson. Get there early if you are going on a weekend. I would suggest adding it to a day hike along the Glen Alpine Trail. Glen Alpine Falls is a must see waterfall if you are in this region of the Tahoe Basin. Be careful not to get into the waterfall because it could sweep you off your feet and down the boulders into the narrow canyon. It’s as if the waterfall is positioned perfectly for photos and for an up-close and personal greeting. This was mostly because everyone was up at the Glen Alpine trail, which left no parking spots at the trailhead.Įven during peak season, you can get very close to the waterfall by climbing down some of the boulders. I was fortunate enough to get a spot near the waterfall on a Saturday morning. If you are not lucky to get one of the 3 or 4 parking spots right off Glen Alpine Rd., then you can try to find parking down by Fallen Leaf Lake which is about 0.1 to 0.2 miles away or you can head up to Glen Alpine Trailhead which is about ½ mile past this waterfall. Additionally, there’s little parking near the waterfall. This is a perfect opportunity for taking Glen Alpine Falls Photos.ĭue to its popularity, it can be crowded especially on a weekend. The best time to see this waterfall is during late-Spring to early-Summer (April-June). In my article, Modjeska Falls: a seasonal beauty with a historically famous name,I discuss further the history of this waterfall and the lady it was named after.įrom Lily Lake, the creek eventually creates Lower Glen Alpine Falls before concluding its journey down to Fallen Leaf Lake, which is at an elevation of 6,400 feet. It’s named after a famous Polish actress of the late 19 th century. This is the first of two well-known waterfalls on the creek and is smaller than the Lower Glen Alpine Falls. From there, the creek flows down to Lily Lake, but before it arrives there, it creates the Upper Glen Alpine Falls also known as Modjeska Falls. The Glen Alpine Creek is roughly 3 miles in length and starts at Grass Lake, which is at an elevation of about 7200 feet. After his wife died in 1880, Gilmore changed the name of his Soda Springs and his resort as a tribute to his wife. The name Glen Alpine was derived from the poem “Lady by the Lake” by Sir Walter Scott, which was a favorite of the wife of this region’s pioneer Nathan Gilmore. You can read more about the origin of the name Fallen Leaf Lake in an article where I examined all of the recorded stories.Įventually, Glen Alpine Falls took its name from the historic Glen Alpine Springs and Resort, which was built about 1.5 miles up the mountain from this waterfall. Eventually, he would drop a remaining twig with a leaf and that is how the name “fallen leaf” was created.Īnother story states that “fallen leaf” was named after an Indian from the Delaware tribe. According to the book Tahoe Place Names: The Origin and History of Names in the Lake Tahoe Basin, a Washoe legend tells how an Indian was harassed by the Evil Spirt and dropped a branch to create Lake Tahoe. The name Fallen Leaf has a few origin stories, but many historical sources point to a Native American influence. I was unable to find the origin of the name Big Falls, but the name Fallen Leaf Falls is directly connected to the large, beautiful Fallen Leaf Lake nearby. Glen Alpine Falls is also known as Lower Glen Alpine Falls, Fallen Leaf Falls and Big Falls. Located on Glen Alpine Creek, this is one of the most popular waterfalls in the Tahoe region as it requires little hiking and allows visitors to get up close and personal with the rushing water. At roughly 65 to 70 feet high, this waterfall is multi-tiered and cascades through a narrow canyon as if it was stepping across the boulders. Glen Alpine Falls is an impressive waterfall during peak season.
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