In Northern California on private land on the edge of the Sacramento River lies a jaw-droppingly beautiful waterfall that is so arresting 30,000 hikers make the illegal trip each year to see it. Despite the fact that the only access is along active train tracks and via a perilously narrow trail, social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, are exploding with images of Mossbrae Falls, located just outside the city of Dunsmuir.
The falls, often compared to the geologic features in Yosemite or Yellowstone, are considered to be one of the state’s natural treasures.
“The most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen,” one visitor told the Los Angeles Times.
Campaigners are trying to legalize access to the falls. However, they lie on land owned by the religious group the Saint Germain Foundation. The group considers the land to be sacred and wants it protected from the public.
On the other side of the river the land is owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. The active tracks that trekkers use to access the falls make up a major freight connection that Amtrak uses twice a day. Since 2012, at least two people have been hit by trains near the waterfall, and many others have reported near-fatal encounters.
As far back as the 1800s Mossbrae Falls has been a tourist destination. Visitors arrived by rail, or by hiking the rail tracks on foot from Dunsmuir to sip the sacred waters. Today, even though they are banned, nature lovers post images of themselves at the falls. There are many posts of daredevil visitors posing dangerously on the active railroad, too.
Campaigners are now trying to raise funds to help with the battle to create safe and legal access to the falls. They want a short hiking trail from the existing city park to the falls.
“We have not spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and 30 years on this just because we want to have a trail to this pretty place. It’s also a safety issue,” said John Harch, a retired surgeon who is president of the Mount Shasta Trail Association.
The Association has spent years in the past trying to purchase a piece of land to create a trail from nearby Hedge Creek Falls, which is owned by the city, to Mossbrae. They have not been successful.
In 2022, the Saint Germain Foundation’s chief financial officer told SF Gate that “the Foundation believes it can best protect this site by limiting access, rather than allowing trailblazers to desecrate its natural beauty.”
“If somebody gets killed on that railroad track, I will feel horrible that we haven't solved this problem,” John Harch said.
Should I respect trail closures and no trespass signs?
For hikers, there is something thrilling about discovering places that limited numbers of people ever reach. However, when a trail is closed it is usually for an important reason, safety concerns being among the main ones. It is always important to respect trail closures.
Access to a beauty spot may be closed to protect you from conditions like rockfall, hazard trees and wildfire damage. It also reduces the likelihood that you’ll need other people to put their own lives in danger to help you.
It’s always good when hiking to set an example. Posting photos on social media of you at forbidden natural spots will encourage others to copy: they may be minors and they may not be as savvy or aware of the risks as you.
Waterfalls can pose unique risks for hikers too, especially in spring when snow is melting. If you are planning a visit to one, follow our waterfall safety tips.
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