Waterfall Loop at Uvas Canyon in Late Summer

The last time I went to Uvas Canyon County Park was in the spring when the waterfalls were at their peak. In late summer, there is less water in the falls, but it is still really lovely and it is way less crowded. Although this hike is very short in terms of distance, there is plenty of elevation change, so it feels harder that it should--especially if you are carrying a toddler in a carrying pack! Nonetheless, this was a great hike for bringing our daughter, and we saw lots of other families too with little ones. Definitely a great place to bring children of all ages.

From the parking lot, we took the paved road up until we saw signs for the water falls loop nature trail. We got on there and then followed the trail up a ridge to Black Rock Falls, where we were able to cross the creek on a bridge and then head back down hill on the second side of the loop. At first, I wasn't sure how people were able to access the creek-side trail, where it was easier to see the falls.

My husband and I were able to ascertain that people were crossing the creek at the broken damn and then going up hill that way. I think if we go back to this park, that I will make a mental note to go up to Basin and Upper Falls on this route. There are only 7 miles of trails in this park, and I would like to hike them all. We followed the signs for "Lower Falls" when we were on our way back, instead of hiking along the road. We took this until the stairs leading up the steep bank of the canyon. Here, we arrived in the picnic area under the large madrones near the parking lot.

As a side note, I learned on this trip that there is a family campground at Uvas! Somehow that did not register to me the last time we were here. I think that this would be a fantastic place to go camping next summer.

There is also the unusual private summer resort, called Sveadal, which is for member of the Swedish American Patriotic League and their guests. They have rental cabins, but I don't think I qualify to rent one, and it's not clear if their campground is open to the larger public. It's cool to drive by, but I think it would be a better option to camp at Uvas instead.