Waterfalls in SoCal

We parked on Lot 16 at UCSD, then you’ll walk down to the right and see the tunnel. We got lucky and didn’t get a ticket. If you enter through the neighborhood you risk someone calling the police because it is considered trespassing. This place is a hidden gem but go at your own risk 🤭. From the parking go down the side of the road to where the sewer is. You'll see it, it's covered in graffiti. There's a tunnel there that you'll go through. It's a little bit hard to find at first, but just keep following the water & rocks, and you'll finally reach it. Some of the trails were overgrown, but just keep following the water and graffiti and you'll get there.

This hike is rated hard. It’s not bad if you hike often though, but please take enough water because it gets hot fast here. Don’t recommend taking your dog unless you go early to avoid heat or go on a cooler day. Since it gets hot fast and your dog can overheat. Check the recent AllTrails reviews before going to see if there's any water in the falls. The waterfalls in San Diego tend to dry up pretty quickly.

This is a really cool waterfall when it's running. When it's really flowing it's super awesome. It trickles all year long, but I recommend checking the recent reviews on AllTrails to make sure it's really flowing before you go. It's a very scenic hike with a lot of shade, water crossings, and it's great for Fall colors if you go during the Fall.

San Antonio Falls is right next to Mount Baldy. It's on the same road up to the Mount Baldy trail. It's about a mile long. It's super kid friendly, or parent friendly. It's a really cool hike and the waterfall is usually flowing all year.

This is a shorter hike and the waterfall flows all year usually, so it's really cool. It's a good hike for kids. It has a lot of water crossings and is super shady.

You need a permit to do this trail. You can get the permit at Recreation.gov (link provided). I think the permits only cost around $5, and you'll just have to list how many people you have with you. They do check the permits, so definitely get one before going. If you don't have a permit and they ask to check they might site you or make you leave. The waterfall can get pretty dry unless there has been raining. The pond always has water though. A lot of people go swimming and cliff jumping here. There are signs saying no cliff jumping, and if the ranger catches you, you'll get in trouble. You can also climb above the waterfall to see the top view. The hike itself is pretty exposed, so I don't necessarily recommend it during the summer. They have built sun huts that you can sit at if you need shade.

This is a good beginner hike. It's really close to the city so it's not a far drive into the mountains to get to it. The waterfall mostly flows all year round & there's also a teepee. A lot of families like to do this hike.

This trail is pretty long and is rated as moderate. The falls are cool.

This hike is a bit of a drive out of LA, but it's a good short hike. It's usually flowing all year long & has water crossings on the trail. The only difficult part of it is that there are a lot of large rocks to walk over and around, so just be careful. It's pretty cool & it's dog-friendly. My dog likes this one a lot.

This is a good hike when there has been a lot of rain. I don't recommend going in the summer or when there hasn't been a heavy rainfall. But if there has been, the waterfall can be pretty big. Check the recent revies on AllTrails before you go to see if anyone has reported the amount of water. The hike is easy. There are some water crossings, so definitely bring water-friendly shoes. It's a kid-friendly hike & you can also camp here.

This is a cool hike. There are two different ways you can start it. You can start it from the same gate that starts Heninger Flats, which is the way that I've done it. The gate at this entrance opens earlier, so you can do the hike earlier and avoid the crowds. I've never done it the other way, but there's a different parking lot that you can enter from which is at the actual Eaton Canyon Falls parking lot. It opens later and the trail is a little bit longer this way. There are a couple of different water crossings on the trail. It can get a little tricky if the water is high, but this is also when the waterfall is at the fullest. A lot of people take kids on this one and it's super close to LA.

This waterfall tends to dry out during the summer. I had wanted to go on this hike for a really long time, but we finally got some rain and I got lucky and it was really flowing. If there has been rain, the waterfall has a lot of moss behind it. I recommend going early because the parking lot isn't very big. They do charge for parking so bring cash to put in the envelope. The AllTrails link doesn't take you to the bigger falls (the one in the photo). To get to the bigger falls, you'll climb up the cliff using the rope. I recommend bringing good shoes so that you don't slip. If you're afraid of heights it might feel pretty sketchy. The AllTrails link will take you to the first (smaller) falls.