Holy Jim Falls

Holy Jim Falls has such a memorable name that every time I think about it, I have this impulse to shout out "Holy Jim!" before the word "Falls."

Apparently the name was in honor of a foul-mouthed beekeeper in the area nicknamed "Cussin' Jim." And I guess conservative governmental types eventually renamed it to "Holy Jim." I guess Jim's short temper also was said to have resulted in the last known California Grizzly Bear to be shot dead here for going after his honey.

This was one of the more adventurous local waterfalls we've done as the the last five miles of driving on the unpaved Trabuco Creek Road to the trailhead of the falls is probably what's going to make you do a "Cussin' Jim" and swear (especially if you've managed to scrape the underside of your car a few times). Indeed, high clearance vehicles are most recommended to get to the trailhead though we did see a handful of passenger cars make the attempt (you'll definitely want to go slow; i.e. 20mph is probably considered gunning it).

Once you've made it to the trailhead, the roughly 3-mile round trip hike (I've seen it reported to be 2.5 miles round trip though it certainly seemed longer) involves a dozen or so stream crossings that might slow you down (as it did for us) if the Holy Jim Creek is flowing well. And after all that trouble, you'll be right in front of the tiny 20ft waterfall (possibly wondering what the trouble was all about).

Yet despite all this, the waterfall happens to be one of the more popular hikes in Orange County. We saw numerous families with large troops of children make the hike as well as plenty of others walking their dogs. Moreover, there are plenty of log cabins along the trail near the trailhead that kind of reminded us of the cabins along the trail to Sturtevant Falls.

You might share this trail with lots of mountain bikers. But before you go off cursing at them or this trail, there's a signpost at the trailhead indicating that the rehabilitation of the Holy Jim Trail was largely due to the efforts of a mountain biking club.

Alternatively, you could follow what our GPS was suggesting and take the I-5 south all the way to Alicia Parkway. Then follow the parkway past some pretty upscale neighborhoods to its junction with Santa Margarita Parkway. Turn right onto Santa Margarita Pkwy and follow it to Plano Trabuco Road. Turn left on Plano Trabuco Rd and then turn right onto Trabuco Creek Road just before the bridge over Trabuco Creek (described above).

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Trabuco Creek Road before it started to get bad

Walking by some cabins

Since mountain bikers rehabilitated this area, you'll probably share the trail with them

Julie almost dwarfs the waterfall

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Broad L-shaped sweep from the Holy Jim Creek up to the waterfall itself

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TRIP REPORTS

• February 14, 2010

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NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Ortega Falls

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