Trifter

Southern California has many beautiful waterfalls that flow through and around its mountainous canyon filled terrain. Most of the waterfalls are best viewed after rain and some will stop flowing during dry spells. The good and the bad about the Southern California waterfalls is that most of them are located near large population centers like Los Angeles. Good because many people can see the falls and bad because the falls can get crowded especially on weekends as many people love hiking the trails to the falls. If you are going to visit these falls please check locally as the conditions in the mountains and canyons can change fast. And watch out for rattlesnakes, poison oak and mountain lions which are all native to most of these areas.

Sturtevant Falls

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Sturtevant Falls drops some 50 feet in lovely fashion in Big Santa Anita Canyon just north of Arcadia. The falls is named for Wilbur M. Sturtevant who built hiking trails and a camp in the area back in the 1890’s. To reach Sturtevant Falls you need to hike what is at times a very popular trail that can be accessed by taking the Santa Anita Ave exit off the 210 Freeway in Arcadia and going north all the way to the end where the trail begins. Parking is in a National Forest and you need to purchase a pass to park here. This spot can get crowded due to how close it is to such a large population base.

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Cedar Creek Falls

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Cedar Creek Falls drops an impressive 80 feet and looks almost like a man-made waterfalls carved out of rock. It is located in San Diego County near the town of Julian and can be reached by taking Pine Hills Road south off Highways 78/79 just west of Julian. Pine Hills Road bears right and becomes Eagle Peak Road and at the end of Eagle Peak is the trail-head for the 4.5 mile round trip hike to Cedar Creek Falls.

Nojoqui Falls

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Nojoqui Falls drops some 80 feet in a pretty unfolding fan fashion over moss that is reminiscent of Limekiln Falls which is located further north up the coast. Nojoqui Falls is located in Nojoqui Falls Park near Solvang and the park and falls can be reached off Highway 101 south of Solvang or just north of where 101 separates from Route 1 along the coast.

Cooper Canyon Falls

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Cooper Canyon Falls drops some 40 feet in the Angeles National Forest. To reach the falls from 210 take the Highway 2 exit north in La Canada and after about 35 miles look for the Buckhorn Campground where the Burkhart Trail to the falls is located for this 3 to 4 mile round trip hike.

San Antonio Falls

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There are actually two separate San Antonio Falls in California. The Southern California San Antonio Falls is pictured above and is located on the slopes of Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains. You can reach the falls off the 210 Freeway by taking the Padua Ave exit north in Claremont. Then turn right onto Mt. Baldy Road and keep going until you reach Falls Road where you can park and make the 1.5 mile round trip hike to the falls. The other San Antonio Falls in California is located east of Sacramento along the Arnold Rim Trail in Stanislaus National Forest and is pictured below.

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Switzer Falls

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Switzer Falls is a series of waterfalls located along a stream flowing down the Arroyo Seco Canyon in the Angeles National Forest. Some of the waterfalls end in pools popular with swimmers but always use caution before leaping into pools below waterfalls like the guy pictured below.

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To reach the Switzer Falls off 210 take the Highway 2 exit north in La Canada and after about 10 miles look for the Switzer picnic area on the right where the hike to the falls begins.

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Monrovia Canyon Falls

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Monrovia Canyon Falls is a roughly 30 foot high waterfall located in Monrovia Canyon Park in the San Gabriel Mountains just north of Monrovia. You can reach the park and the falls by taking the Myrtle Ave exit north off the 210 Freeway in Monrovia and then continuing until you reach E Greystone Ave where you turn right. Continue until you reach N Canyon Blvd where you turn left and then follow signs to Monrovia Canyon Park.

Eaton Canyon Falls

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Eaton Canyon Falls is a lovely 30 foot high waterfall located in Eaton Canyon Park in Pasadena. The trail to the falls begins at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center in the park and the hike is roughly 3 miles round trip. To reach Eaton Canyon Park take the Altadena Drive exit off the 210 Freeway and go north until you see signs for the park on your right.

Sycamore Canyon Falls

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Sycamore Canyon Falls drops some 30 feet in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. To reach the falls from Highway 101 take the Wendy Drive exit in Newbury Park and go south 2.5 miles to Lynn Road and turn right and proceed 1.5 miles to the park entrance on your left.

Escondido Falls

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Escondido Falls is a long pretty waterfall that drops down Escondido Canyon but unless you want to risk serious injury be satisfied with seeing the last 50 feet or so of the falls. You can reach the falls from a trail-head located on East Winding Way Road off the Pacific Coast Highway just south of Paradise Cove and about 3 miles north of Pepperdine University.

Tahquitz Canyon Falls

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Tahquitz Canyon Falls is a lovely waterfall that is famous for being the Shangri-La site where Frank Capra filmed “Lost Horizon” back in 1937.

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Tahquitz Falls is located in the San Jacinto Mountains near Palm Springs and was named for an Indian shaman. Today the Agua Caliente Indians own and operate the site as a tourist attraction. The Indians closed Tahquitz Falls to the public in 1969 after hundreds of rock concert goers found their way to the falls after a concert in Palm Springs and stayed for days. The site was reopened in 2000.

Cold Springs Falls

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Cold Spring Falls is located near Santa Barbara off Highway 101. For directions see here.

Santa Ynez Falls

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Beautiful Santa Ynez Falls is located in Topanga State Park which is on Entrada Road in Topanga, California.

Millard Canyon Falls

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Millard Canyon Falls is a lovely waterfalls located near Pasadena. For more info and directions please see here.

Holy Jim Falls

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Holy Jim Falls is named for Jim Smith who lived in the area in the early 1900’s and cursed a blue streak with the best of them and thus the name for the falls. Reportedly the last California Grizzly or Golden Bear was killed near here back in 1907. You can read more and get directions here.

Solstice Canyon Falls

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Solstice Canyon Falls is a nice pleasant 30 foot waterfall located near Malibu in Solstice Canyon Park. To reach the park and falls take Corral Canyon Road north from the Pacific Coast Highway and the park entrance is on your left.

More great California Waterfalls:

Alamere Falls

Big Basin Waterfalls

Darwin Falls in Death Valley

Eagle Falls

Feather Falls

McWay Falls

Mossbrae Falls

Pacific Coast Highway 1 Waterfalls

Rainbow Falls in Devil’s Postpile

Uvas Canyon Waterfalls

Yosemite Park Waterfalls