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It was about time we put together a Top 10 Best Southern California Waterfalls List. After having seen quite a number of waterfalls in our own backyard, we had a strong urge to take a step back and evaluate which ones we liked the most. And as usual, we had a real hard time coming up with this list because so much depends on experience (which is different for each person let alone each time you've come) and mood (again, which can be fickle and change on a whim). So here's our crack at this list, which is based on our own personal experiences. And we have to reiterate once again that this is by no means a permanent list as we intend collect more falls or re-visit some familiar ones from the hidden nooks and crannies of our local mountains. So without further adieu, here they are in reverse order...Click here to share your favorite waterfalls in the Southern California area with visitors to this page!
10. HEART ROCK FALLS (SEELEY CREEK FALLS) This was one of those waterfalls that left us scratching our heads. I mean, how in the randomness and chaos of Nature could there be a heart-shaped depression right next to this waterfall? But there it was in plain sight, and with a shape that was so uncanny that it would make Cupid jealous. Sure the falls itself is diminutive, but sometimes it's more about heart and not about the size that matters. And we think it's certainly true in this case!
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9. PARADISE FALLS (WILDWOOD FALLS) Thankfully this waterfall doesn't require a balloon ride to South America. Nope. All it takes it a bit of a drive towards Thousand Oaks where this 40ft waterfall is found amidst the suburban-fringed Wildwood Canyon. Julie and I remember this waterfall well because it was our first local waterfall together. But sentiment aside, there's also a Native American cave, a picnic area beneath a teepee, and some interesting rock formations to boot! It's places like this that remind us of how diverse and surprising Nature in the Greater Los Angeles area can be, and we have no qualms about including this falls on our list of local favorites.
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8. TRAIL CANYON FALLS Even though it has been over 8 years since I last visited this waterfall solo (and I'll have to wait a bit longer to re-visit it thanks to Station Fire damage), its 50ft Y-shaped dual plume is still etched in my mind as one of my most memorable waterfalling experiences from our early days of this passion. Even though the trail takes you only to the top of the falls, there is a steep scramble (this isn't for everyone) that takes you to the bottom where you can be face-to-face with this beauty.
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7. SAN ANTONIO FALLS Come to this waterfall when the snow of Mt Baldy (also known as Mt San Antonio) is in peak melt, and you're treated to an impressive waterfall display complete with three drops, including a waterwheel on its lowest drop. Add to that the alpine scenery of pine trees piercing the snow-blanketed hillsides and attractive vistas of the basin when you're looking downslope, and you have a very worthwhile reason to go waterfalling locally on the weekend. In fact, I think your car will probably get more of a workout just getting to the trailhead than your legs getting to the falls (since the well-maintained road to the overlook was paved the last time we were there). So why not give this one a go?
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6. TANGERINE FALLS (WEST FORK COLD SPRINGS FALLS) This waterfall was a bit of a Valentine's treat for us when we had spent a weekend in the Santa Barbara area during that Hallmark Holiday. However, belying the romantism of Valentine's Day, we had to endure a bit of a scramble while trying to avoid poison oak exposure just to reach the falls. But once we got there, we found ourselves looking up at this slender 150ft falls against a backdrop of clear blue skies sprinkled with a paraglider here and there. When we turned around, an incredible vista of the Pacific against the horizon fronted by the classic Spanish-style rooftops that typify Santa Barbara architecture as the tree-lined canyon unfolded before us. To this day, I can close my eyes and still picture the surreal view of both the falls and the scenery behind me at the narrow overlook. It was local waterfalling at its finest, as far as I was concerned.
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5. EATON CANYON FALLS There aren't many year-round waterfalls in the Greater Los Angeles area, but what makes this waterfall really stand out is how easy it is to access. In fact, this was the waterfall excursion I organized for city-slicking co-workers as an introductory hike to perhaps expose them to some of the scenery that they probably didn't know existed near such a metropolis. Sure the trail maybe a little busy and crowded plus there seems to be a constant struggle to manage the graffiti problem here, but considering this falls is as close to an urban waterfall as you can get in LA and that it's free, I guess you gotta take the good with the bad. We think Angelinos should visit this falls at least once just to get a flavor of the wonderful nature in our own backyard.
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4. STURTEVANT FALLS Year-round waterfalls are very rare in Southern California, but this 50- or 60ft waterfall can be counted as one of them. I think this was the second waterfall that Julie ever took me to in our early days of waterfalling so there's a little bit of sentiment attached to it as well. While the hot and sunny upside-down hike as well as the combo of popularity and limited parking can take away from the experience, the algae coloring the wall behind the falls certainly makes this one of the more memorable local waterfalls we've seen.
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3. CEDAR CREEK FALLS When this falls is flowing, it's definitely a waterfall worth going out of your way for. Case in point? Mom and I did this as a very long day trip; and we savored the experience big time! If the timing is really right, you could even see a bonus waterfall en route. And we're not the only ones who were impressed by this falls because apparently it's the most photographed waterfall in the greater San Diego area. The only downside is that this waterfall tends to have a short season (as it was dry on Julie's first visit to the falls). Nevertheless, if you add up all the good and the bad with this falls, we ended up having no trouble putting this waterfall this high on our list of local favorites.
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2. BIG FALLS This is said to be Southern California's tallest year-round waterfall. The year-round aspect alone makes this waterfall special in this typically arid region. However, its height and flow also makes this a waterfall for which we've gone out of our way more than once! While you have to earn your way to see some of the waterfall's hidden tiers, you need not go through such trouble to see most of its attractive sections. And we've noticed quite a few people who used this waterfall to just chill and have a picnic while being around its crystal clear stream.
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1. FISH CANYON FALLS When Julie first looked at this waterfall, then turned to me and put up five fingers, I knew we had witnessed a waterfall that's all too rare in the Southland - i.e. one that WoW'ed our jaded waterfall tastes. We were wondering if there was a local waterfall that had it all - the close proximity, the WoW! factor, and the reasonable accessibility. And not even the quarry limiting access, the trace amounts of graffiti, and the popularity of this hike could put a damper on our impression of this falls. Indeed, until we see another local waterfall that could impress us the way this one did, we're sticking by this choice as our favorite local waterfall.
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In case you haven't noticed yet, we've seen many waterfalls well beyond our own backyard in Los Angeles and the encompassing Southern California region. As a result, we've put together a list of our favorite Top 10 World's Best Waterfalls. But we've also visited enough waterfalls in particular countries or regions to put together Top 10 Lists for those areas as well! Check them out!
World of Waterfalls: An Emotive Journey
Want to see a waterfall on this list in a music video? One of them appears in a video we made celebrating waterfalls around the world. Can you spot it? See the video!
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