San Antonio Falls

Angeles National Forest / Mt Baldy, California, USA

About San Antonio Falls


Hiking Distance: 1.5 miles round trip
Suggested Time: 45-60 minutes

Date first visited: 2005-04-03
Date last visited: 2024-04-28

Waterfall Latitude: 34.27292
Waterfall Longitude: -117.6346

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

San Antonio Falls was a waterfall where it pays to time a visit for the peak snowmelt when Mt Baldy (formally known as Mt San Antonio) has accumulated snow during the Winter.

Luckily, Mt Baldy is quite visible from the Los Angeles basin (it’s the very prominent south-facing mountain when looking towards Pomona) so Mother Nature already provides clues as to when to time a visit.

San_Antonio_Falls_165_05082020 - San Antonio Falls
San Antonio Falls

And as you can see the photo above, when the timing is right, the waterfall puts on a show, and you can easily see why we included it on our Top 10 So Cal Waterfalls List.

So what is this timing, you may ask?

Timing San Antonio Falls

Our general rule of thumb is to observe whether Mt Baldy has had snow or not.

Usually in the Winters, the storms we get would produce snow in the mountains.

Parents_Home_002_04122009 - Usually when you can still see snow on Mt Baldy from the LA Basin, there's a good chance that San Antonio Falls would put on a show
Usually when you can still see snow on Mt Baldy from the LA Basin, there’s a good chance that San Antonio Falls would put on a show

And if there has been an accumulation, it’s quite visible on the peak of Mt Baldy.

Of course with Climate Change, we now have to evaluate our Winters in terms of drought years versus wet years.

Therefore, it may be only certain years where it’s worth the effort to make it up to the slopes of Mt Baldy to see this waterfall despite the season.

In any case, when the seasons change and the weather warms up (typically in the Spring), that would be when the creek responsible for feeding the waterfall would contain the volume it would need to put on a show.

San_Antonio_Falls_049_03282010 - San Antonio Falls in high volume with a waterwheel as well as snow still lingering around during our late March 2010 visit
San Antonio Falls in high volume with a waterwheel as well as snow still lingering around during our late March 2010 visit

That said, there are other nuances with timing a visit to San Antonio Falls in addition to the waterfall’s flow.

For example, we’ve come to the falls when there was still enough snow clinging to its neighboring slopes.

As a result, San Antonio Falls blended in with the snow and was harder to see (let alone photograph).

In addition, with the presence of snow, the footing was a bit trickier and more slippery (due to ice) so we really had watch our steps.

San_Antonio_Falls_133_02072015 - San Antonio Falls in low volume without the waterwheel even though it was February 2015
San Antonio Falls in low volume without the waterwheel even though it was February 2015

On the other hand, we also came when most of the snow around the waterfall had melted.

This allowed us to see the San Antonio Falls’ uppermost tiers, but it also meant that the flow was waning.

When there’s good flow, the falls may feature an intriguing waterwheel (where the water was thrown up before dropping back down), which further added to its scenic allure.

However, when there’s less flow, the waterwheel would be either non-existent or not as pronounced.

Accessing San Antonio Falls

San_Antonio_Falls_026_05082020 - Julie and Tahia hiking on Falls Road en route to San Antonio Falls
Julie and Tahia hiking on Falls Road en route to San Antonio Falls

The hike to San Antonio Falls was really more of a short walk on the paved Falls Road (though when Julie and I were first here back in 2005, Falls Road was not paved).

This road deviated from Baldy Road at Manker Flats (see directions below).

The slightly uphill hike was very easy for the family since it was pretty much a walk on the road as long as we weren’t walking on snow or ice.

During the walk, we even had a nice glimpse of the LA Basin looking downslope near where the road made a sharp turn.

San_Antonio_Falls_039_05082020 - Context of Tahia and Julie on Falls Road with San Antonio Falls looming in the distance as seen from the bend in the road
Context of Tahia and Julie on Falls Road with San Antonio Falls looming in the distance as seen from the bend in the road

We also noticed some driveways or local residences, which might have been the reason why Falls Road had been improved over the years.

After about 3/4-mile, we arrived at the lookout for San Antonio Falls, which would be situated right at a hairpin bend on Falls Road typically with a railing or barricade from which you get a pretty good view.

It was from this vantage point that we could appreciate its three main drops which might be on the order of 100-150ft tall (even though Ann Marie Brown had it at 80ft).

We had also noticed there were a few more tiers above and below this main section so it’s conceivable that we could’ve easily underestimated the overall height of the waterfall.

San_Antonio_Falls_16_087_01162016 - Context of San Antonio Falls accompanied by a lot of snow on an early-season visit in January 2016 as seen from the overlook
Context of San Antonio Falls accompanied by a lot of snow on an early-season visit in January 2016 as seen from the overlook

That said, the taller slopes made the falls appear smaller or even more invisible by comparison, especially when there’s snow.

Scrambling to the base of San Antonio Falls

Beyond the overlook at the end of the hairpin turn on Falls Road, there was a narrow path that led right to the base of San Antonio Falls.

A short distance from the overlook at the Falls Road hairpin, there was a pretty well-worn section of the track that definitely required us to wear shoes with decent grip.

A slip and fall into that ravine that the slope faced would certainly be cause for injury.

San_Antonio_Falls_147_02072015 - Looking back at the eroded part of the scramble to the base of San Antonio Falls
Looking back at the eroded part of the scramble to the base of San Antonio Falls

Even if you slid down there uninjured, it looked like it would be a difficult scramble back up.

Therefore, I can see why more than a few people wouldn’t want to continue from the overlook to the base of the falls (at least for our first several visits).

That said, in recent years, this place had become so popular that the erosion-prone part of the trail was re-routed below the sketchy ledge-clinging part.

This was something that we noticed on our April 2024 visit, and this re-routing made this once-sketchy section significantly easier than in the past.

San_Antonio_Falls_045_04282024 - Looking at the context of the re-routed part of the trail that avoided clinging to an eroded ledge on the way to the base of San Antonio Falls
Looking at the context of the re-routed part of the trail that avoided clinging to an eroded ledge on the way to the base of San Antonio Falls

Anyways, Falls Road continued going up the slope apparently towards the lifts at the Baldy Summit, but we’ve never hiked past the waterfall so we can’t comment more on it.

Thus, the round trip distance of this hike was on the order of 1.5 miles and generally 90 minutes to 2 hours was more than enough time for us to enjoy both the hike and the falls.

Authorities

San Antonio Falls resides in the San Bernardino National Forest near Mt Baldy in San Bernardino County, California. It is administered by the USDA Forest Service. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or Facebook page.

San_Antonio_Falls_003_04282024 - Making it back to the Falls Road and Mt Baldy Road intersection at Manker Flat during a visit in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_004_04282024 - There were definitely lots more people visiting San Antonio Falls in late April 2024 than at all the other times we've visited this waterfall previously
San_Antonio_Falls_014_04282024 - Even though we had a lot of snowfall in February and March 2024, it looked like by late April 2024, most of the snow had already melted, which made San Antonio Creek swell
San_Antonio_Falls_016_04282024 - The familiar look back down the canyon towards the LA Basin though it definitely looked like it was starting to get smoggy in the haze down there in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_004_iPhone_04282024 - Context of Falls Road leading closer to San Antonio Falls as seen in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_021_04282024 - Looking at the full extent of San Antonio Falls in late April 2024 as it started dropping beneath the snow line and into the main drops further downstream
San_Antonio_Falls_023_04282024 - Julie and Tahia walking along the benign Falls Road en route to San Antonio Falls in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_026_04282024 - We noticed that there was some search-and-rescue helicopters circling around Mt Baldy during our late April 2024 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_028_04282024 - Another look at more people going to and from San Antonio Falls though I suspect quite a few of these folks are actually going all the way up to Mt Baldy during our late April 2024 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_030_04282024 - Back at the familiar lookout area for San Antonio Falls as seen in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_033_04282024 - It looked like San Antonio Falls was flowing quite well during our late April 2024, which you can see was dwarfing the people alongside San Antonio Creek
San_Antonio_Falls_036_04282024 - Broad look at the context of San Antonio Falls with snow in the background and the continuation of San Antonio Creek flowing vigorously as of our late April 2024 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_041_04282024 - Julie and Tahia going around the ledge-clinging part of the final approach to the base of San Antonio Falls, which made our late April 2024 visit way easier and less sketchier than it had ever been on our previous visits
San_Antonio_Falls_048_04282024 - Another look down at the re-routed trail making it no longer necessary to cling to the eroded cliff or ledge above to get past this obstacle and continue to the base of San Antonio Falls as of our visit in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_053_04282024 - Julie and Tahia going past some sharp yucca plants on the way down to the base of San Antonio Falls in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_056_04282024 - Looking downstream at the outflow of San Antonio Creek on our way to the base of San Antonio Falls in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_063_04282024 - Unfortunately, it seems like the tagging problem has gotten worse on our visit in late April 2024 at the San Antonio Falls
San_Antonio_Falls_064_04282024 - Looking down at a lot of people enjoying the rushing waters of San Antonio Creek in front of the San Antonio Falls in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_066_04282024 - Looking directly at the base of San Antonio Falls where getting across to the other side required getting my feet wet during our visit in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_105_04282024 - Looking right at the final drop of San Antonio Falls as of our late April 2024 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_115_04282024 - Context of San Antonio Falls and some irresponsible dudes thinking they can climb up the loose slope while kicking down rocks at unsuspecting people below during our late April 2024 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_132_04282024 - Looking downstream at some people who scrambled downstream and upstream along San Antonio Creek as there were apparently more cascades or swimming holes down there during our late April 2024 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_150_04282024 - Looking back at San Antonio Falls and its context as we were leaving its base and returning to Falls Road in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_156_04282024 - Going back across the easier re-route to get past the eroded part of the trail to the base of the San Antonio Falls in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_165_04282024 - Julie and Tahia making their way back along Falls Road to wrap up our brief visit to San Antonio Falls in late April 2024
San_Antonio_Falls_001_05082020 - Parked along the uphill side of Mt Baldy Road since they closed off the downhill side of the divided road due to tree cutting activities to take advantage of the lack of traffic due to COVID-19 during our May 2020 visit. That said, you can see there were still quite a few cars here
San_Antonio_Falls_003_05082020 - Starting our May 2020 hike to San Antonio Falls along the Falls Road
San_Antonio_Falls_004_05082020 - Over the years, I never recalled seeing this map sign at the start of the Falls Road when we did our May 2020 hike to San Antonio Falls
San_Antonio_Falls_005_05082020 - Another one of the signs at the trailhead for our May 2020 hike to San Antonio Falls that seemed new as of our latest visit
San_Antonio_Falls_008_05082020 - There were actually quite a few people (without masks I might add) hiking to San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit despite numerous signs saying that 'All Baldy Trails Closed' and 'All Parked Vehicles Will Be Towed'
San_Antonio_Falls_012_05082020 - Julie and Tahia wearing masks during our May 2020 hike to San Antonio Falls, where we were actually one of the few people that actually wore the masks
San_Antonio_Falls_016_05082020 - Looking back at some people hiking back from San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_024_05082020 - We noticed this defaced rock along Falls Road as it seemed like the graffiti problem had been getting worse over the years in all Southern California Waterfalls as people are bringing the ghetto to the trails. This was seen during our May 2020 hike to San Antonio Falls
San_Antonio_Falls_028_05082020 - Looking towards the basin from near the bend on Falls Road
San_Antonio_Falls_032_05082020 - Distant contextual view of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit as seen from the bend in the San Antonio Falls Road
San_Antonio_Falls_033_05082020 - Focused look at the uppermost drop of San Antonio Falls as seen during our May 2020 visit when most of the snow had melted
San_Antonio_Falls_043_05082020 - Looking back at the bend in the road across a seemingly landslide-prone part of the San Antonio Falls Road as seen during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_045_05082020 - Julie and Tahia continuing to walk on Falls Road on the final approach towards San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_046_05082020 - Looking up at a few scatterings of wildflowers in bloom during our May 2020 hike to San Antonio Falls
San_Antonio_Falls_047_05082020 - Another focused look at the uppermost drop that we could see of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit, which was typically covered our blended in with snow in most of our prior visits so we hadn't really noticed it before
San_Antonio_Falls_049_05082020 - Context of Falls Road continuing through the rockslide or landslide-prone part of the San Antonio Falls hike during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_051_05082020 - Approaching the San Antonio Falls lookout during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_052_05082020 - Focused look at San Antonio Falls as seen from the overlook during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_058_05082020 - Context of San Antonio Falls as seen from the overlook during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_070_05082020 - Julie and Tahia headed towards the base of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_071_05082020 - Tahia and Julie continuing towards the eroded section of the scramble to the base of San Antonio Falls in May 2020
San_Antonio_Falls_074_05082020 - Julie and Tahia carefully making their way across the eroded scramble part, which seems to be even more eroded during our May 2020 hike to San Antonio Falls than at any point before (likely due to the amount of increased traffic here)
San_Antonio_Falls_077_05082020 - Looking ahead at someone scrambling near the graffiti next to San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit. He had actually scrambled all the way to the top of the main series of drops
San_Antonio_Falls_078_05082020 - Julie and Tahia approaching the base of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_079_05082020 - Looking ahead at the scattering of people downstream of the San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_080_05082020 - San Antonio Falls appearing less visible the further down to its base that we went during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_081_05082020 - Julie and Tahia on the final descent to the base of San Antonio Falls in May 2020
San_Antonio_Falls_087_05082020 - Looking upstream at the San Antonio Falls from its base during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_091_05082020 - For a sense of scale, here's a look at a pair of people sitting by the base of San Antonio Falls' waterwheel during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_095_05082020 - Looking downstream from the base of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit with snow still clinging to some of the neighboring mountains in the distance. These folks were stream scrambling their way down to perhaps a different viewpoint or trailhead
San_Antonio_Falls_120_05082020 - Tahia enjoying herself in the creek before the base of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_129_05082020 - Tahia and Julie chilling out with the snowy mountain context in the distance at the base of San Antonio Falls in May 2020
San_Antonio_Falls_133_05082020 - Another look at people standing before the base and waterwheel of San Antonio Falls in May 2020
San_Antonio_Falls_147_05082020 - Context of other people relaxing with a dog also enjoying the creek at the base of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_151_05082020 - We started to leave San Antonio Falls when the group of younger folks with a loud boom box playing rap music showed up. I don't get the dickhead behavior, but I have to believe that the graffiti that comes with this needs to be curbed. Perhaps there needs to be a controlled access where you pay for permits and it gets enforced.  That might be the only way to offset the cost of clean-up and ensures that only respectful visitation is tolerated
San_Antonio_Falls_157_05082020 - Context of Julie and Tahia returning from San Antonio Falls' base during our May 2020 visit with snow still atop the mountains in the distance
San_Antonio_Falls_158_05082020 - Yet another example of dickhead behavior around the San Antonio Falls hike as seen in May 2020. Again, I really think the forest service seriously needs to consider having a permit system or increasing the cost of visitation and accompanying enforcement to curb urban blight
San_Antonio_Falls_160_05082020 - Julie and Tahia going back across the eroded scramble on the way back from San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 hike
San_Antonio_Falls_162_05082020 - Julie and Tahia approaching another landslide prone section of the scrambling path from the base of San Antonio Falls as seen during our May 2020 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_172_05082020 - Last look at the overlook of San Antonio Falls during our May 2020 visit after having had our fill of the base
San_Antonio_Falls_181_05082020 - Context of Julie and Tahia headed back from San Antonio Falls to conclude our May 2020 visit with a snow-topped mountain in the distance
San_Antonio_Falls_189_05082020 - Tahia and Julie continuing on the return hike from San Antonio Falls in May 2020 as we approached Mt Baldy Road again
San_Antonio_Falls_193_05082020 - Julie and Tahia returning to the Mt Baldy Road to end our May 2020 visit to San Antonio Falls during COVID-19 semi-lockdown
San_Antonio_Falls_16_001_01162016 - Looking back at a very busy Manker Flat area during the start of our January 2016 visit to San Antonio Falls, which was under quite a bit of snow cover
San_Antonio_Falls_16_009_01162016 - This is what Falls Road would be like during those times when there's lots of snow in the area like it was during our January 2016 visit. Clearly, hiking in these conditions require a bit more care and preparation
San_Antonio_Falls_16_026_01162016 - The family carefully walking on San Antonio Falls Road when it was covered in snow and ice during our January 2016 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_16_032_01162016 - Walking on a section of the San Antonio Falls Road where it was easier to walk since most of the ice and snow had melted and revealed asphalt again during our January 2016 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_16_040_01162016 - Looking back at the San Antonio Falls Road after having turned the corner of the bend during our January 2016 visit to San Antonio Falls. As you can see, there was still quite a bit of winter conditions on this day
San_Antonio_Falls_16_070_01162016 - Contextual look at San Antonio Falls in early season flow with snow still around it in January 2016 and someone who managed to get all the way to the waterfall's base for a sense of scale
San_Antonio_Falls_16_085_01162016 - Context of San Antonio Falls as seen from the overlook in January 2016, but it was flanked by lots of snow which conspired to make the waterfall stand out a bit less
San_Antonio_Falls_16_098_01162016 - After having our fill of San Antonio Falls in January 2016, we headed back where we noticed this parked vehicle probably belonging to the property owner to the right of where this photo was taken
San_Antonio_Falls_16_116_01162016 - The family going back around the bend in San Antonio Falls Road during our visit in January 2016
San_Antonio_Falls_16_120_01162016 - Looking towards the mouth of the canyon where we could see somewhat of an inversion layer or fog covering the basin while we were at around 6300 feet on the San Antonio Falls Road during our January 2016 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_16_130_01162016 - The family going by another parked vehicle on Falls Road as we were returning from San Antonio Falls during our January 2016 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_16_131_01162016 - Seems like over the years, San Antonio Falls has gotten more popular as evidenced by the presence of even more parked cars around Manker Flat. On our January 2016 visit, it was especially busy because of the free snow play
San_Antonio_Falls_002_02072015 - The parallel parking situation along the divided Mt Baldy Road as seen during our visit in February 2015, which was a drought year as we've had a dry January and February after having had some early season storms
San_Antonio_Falls_003_02072015 - The family crossing the other side of the divided Mt Baldy Road en route to the San Antonio Falls in February 2015
San_Antonio_Falls_008_02072015 - Approaching the gate preventing public vehicular access en route to San Antonio Falls in February 2015
San_Antonio_Falls_013_02072015 - Looking downhill from the San Antonio Falls Road during our February 2015 visit, which was unusual in that most of Mt Baldy was snow free
San_Antonio_Falls_018_02072015 - Overtaken by the tail end of a large group of Korean seniors seeking to summit Mt Baldy on the same trail as San Antonio Falls during our February 2015 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_032_02072015 - A mostly snow-free look at San Antonio Falls from the overlook in February 2015. Notice the scale of the falls as evidenced by the group of people at the base of the falls as well as the abseilers climbing up besides it
San_Antonio_Falls_038_02072015 - Dad and Tahia about to approach the base of San Antonio Falls during our February 2015 visit. Note that one of the rocks was defaced with graffiti
San_Antonio_Falls_041_02072015 - Mom traversing a very worn section of the use-trail en route to the base of San Antonio Falls in February 2015. Note the dropoff on her left
San_Antonio_Falls_043_02072015 - Dad and Tahia approaching the base of San Antonio Falls during our February 2015 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_050_02072015 - Tahia pre-occupying herself at a remnant snow patch around the base of San Antonio Falls in low flow during our visit in February 2015
San_Antonio_Falls_057_02072015 - Looking up towards the San Antonio Falls from near its base during our February 2015 visit when the waterfall was mostly snow free
San_Antonio_Falls_070_02072015 - Tahia keeping a close eye on Tahia while she was playing in the remnant snow patch before the base of San Antonio Falls in February 2015
San_Antonio_Falls_101_02072015 - Given the low flow of San Antonio Falls during our visit in February 2015, I was able to get close enough to its base to get this unusual angled look up towards the top of its main drop
San_Antonio_Falls_113_02072015 - Another close-up look at San Antonio Falls in low flow in February 2015 where the waterwheel was missing under such conditions
San_Antonio_Falls_121_02072015 - In drier times like in February 2015, the family was able to have a pleasant little picnic at the base of San Antonio Falls
San_Antonio_Falls_152_02072015 - The family heading back to the trailhead on the easy-to-walk paved San Antonio Falls Road towards the conclusion of our February 2015 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_155_02072015 - Last look back towards the basin towards the end of our San Antonio Falls hike in February 2015
San_Antonio_Falls_002_03282010 - Parked vehicles on Mt Baldy Road during our visit in March 2010.
San_Antonio_Falls_003_03282010 - Hiking on the San Antonio Falls Road during our March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_004_03282010 - Julie on the paved Falls Road as she approached the upcoming bend during our March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_008_03282010 - Looking towards the basin from the San Antonio Falls Road as seen during our March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_014_03282010 - Context of a snow pole and the informal scrambling path beyond the lookout as seen during our visit to San Antonio Falls Road in March 2010
San_Antonio_Falls_047_03282010 - Waterwheel on the lower drop of San Antonio Falls as seen in March 2010
San_Antonio_Falls_062_03282010 - View of San Antonio Falls fronted by a bit of snow at its base during our late March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_065_03282010 - Looking downstream from the base of San Antonio Falls during our late March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_078_03282010 - Julie going past a private driveway en route to San Antonio Falls during our late March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_081_03282010 - Julie navigating the erosion part during the scramble to the base of the San Antonio Falls on our late March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_083_03282010 - Julie approaching the base of the San Antonio Falls when there was more snow in late March 2010
San_Antonio_Falls_089_03282010 - Last look at San Antonio Falls fronted by snow during our late March 2010 visit
San_Antonio_Falls_090_03282010 - Last look down into the basin from the San Antonio Falls Road as we were making our return hike from the falls in late March 2010
San_Antonio_Falls_093_03282010 - Julie heading back to the start of the hike to San Antonio Falls in late March 2010
San_Antonio_Falls_095_03282010 - We noticed this lizard trying to blend in with the rocks while on our return hike from San Antonio Falls in late March 2010
San_Antonio_Falls_003_04032005 - Context of San Antonio Falls as seen from the lookout during our visit in April 2005
San_Antonio_Falls_004_04032005 - Broad contextual view of San Antonio Falls as seen from the lookout during our visit in April 2005
San_Antonio_Falls_016_04032005 - We saw this parked vehicle at the overlook of San Antonio Falls during our visit in April 2005. I guess the driver of this vehicle must be one of the locals who lived here
San_Antonio_Falls_020_04032005 - Julie actually made the attempt to get closer to the San Antonio Falls during our visit in April 2005
San_Antonio_Falls_023_04032005 - Looking downstream at the snow-covered mountains as seen from the base of San Antonio Falls during our visit in April 2005
San_Antonio_Falls_025_04032005 - Julie on the unpaved San Antonio Falls Road heading back to the trailhead in April 2005. I knew I wasn't crazy when I thought that this road was unpaved when we first came here. It has been paved in all the other times we've been here since


To get to San Antonio Falls, there are a few ways to go after getting onto the I-210 East towards the Claremont area (34 miles east of downtown Los Angeles).

The Most Direct Route

The most straightforward way to get to the falls from the I-210 East Freeway would be to exit at Base Line Road..

San_Antonio_Falls_004_02072015 - Looking towards parked vehicles along Mt Baldy Road at its junction with Falls Road
Looking towards parked vehicles along Mt Baldy Road at its junction with Falls Road

Once on the traffic light, we’d then turn left onto Base Line Road before turning right at the next light onto Padua Road.

Next, we’d follow Padua Road through what looked like a pretty new suburban neighborhood until eventually reaching an intersection with Mt Baldy Road.

Then, we’d turn right onto Mt Baldy Road and take it roughly 9 miles or so climbing along the winding mountainous roads through Baldy Village (note to keep left at the Ice House Canyon turnoff to remain on Mt Baldy Road shortly after the village).

Eventually, we’d reach the Falls Road entrance just beyond the Manker Flat Campground.

San_Antonio_Falls_16_011_01162016 - Looking back towards Baldy Rd from Falls Rd when there was snow. Note on the far side of Baldy Rd was an informal play area for sledding, snowball fights, snowman building, etc., which explained the sudden popularity at the time this photo was taken
Looking back towards Baldy Rd from Falls Rd when there was snow. Note on the far side of Baldy Rd was an informal play area for sledding, snowball fights, snowman building, etc., which explained the sudden popularity at the time this photo was taken

There’s usually lots of vehicles parked along the divided Mt Baldy Road on the downslope side around the Falls Road so you can’t miss it.

If we didn’t have a Forest Service Pass in hand to display in our parked vehicle, we could buy one from one of the handful of outfitters and shops in Baldy Village.

A Slightly Different Driving Route as described in the Ann Marie Brown book

On one of our recent visits, we followed Ann Marie Brown’s directions as described in her book.

She had us exiting the I-210 Freeway at Mountain Ave and taking it north for 4.3 miles.

San_Antonio_Falls_002_05082020 - Parked on the uphill side of Mt Baldy Road at Manker Flats when the downhill side was closed due to tree cutting activities right around the time when COVID-19 restrictions were easing in May 2020
Parked on the uphill side of Mt Baldy Road at Manker Flats when the downhill side was closed due to tree cutting activities right around the time when COVID-19 restrictions were easing in May 2020

Shortly after a hairpin turn by Lower San Antonio station, we then had to turn sharply right at a blind turn onto Mt Baldy Road.

From there, we then continued climbing up the mountain for the next 9 miles to Manker Flat Campground and ultimately the trailhead for San Antonio Falls shortly thereafter.

Car Maintenance and Mountain Roads

Speaking of climbing, I want to mention that for steep mountain roads like this (especially on the hairpins and grades beyond Baldy Village), we had to be honest with ourselves about the condition of our car.

We had one incident with our Corolla with 230k miles on it where we managed to make it, but we did have a bit of a scare.

San_Antonio_Falls_002_04282024 - It seemed like this area at Manker Flat and Falls Road was always busy with lots of cars, but a lot of people actually park down here to go to Mt Baldy as opposed to just going to San Antonio Falls and back
It seemed like this area at Manker Flat and Falls Road was always busy with lots of cars, but a lot of people actually park down here to go to Mt Baldy as opposed to just going to San Antonio Falls and back

That was because we noticed some steam or smoke protruding from the hood (despite the fact that the car made no indication of overheating or abnormally high engine temperatures).

On a separate visit, the automatic transmission fluid on my parents’ SUV overheated due to negligence of not having that fluid flushed prior to making our visit.

Luckily, the issue solved itself when we parked the car and returned to it some 90 minutes later after doing the hike.

So just keep this in mind if you have an old car, because it’s not exactly an ideal place to have a break down.

San_Antonio_Falls_006_04282024 - I saw one guy actually try to drive on Falls Road until he encountered this gate.  Behind that gate are at least three residences alongside San Antonio Creek downstream of the San Antonio Falls
I saw one guy actually try to drive on Falls Road until he encountered this gate. Behind that gate are at least three residences alongside San Antonio Creek downstream of the San Antonio Falls

For geographical context, Mt Baldy is 14 miles (over 30 minutes drive) north of Ontario, 43 miles (about 1 hour drive) northwest of Riverside, 47 miles (about 90 minutes drive depending on traffic) northeast of downtown Los Angeles, and 49 miles (about 90 minutes drive depending on traffic) north of Irvine.

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Context of the trail at its main bend showing the down canyon scenery before getting to the bend to reveal the upper tiers of the falls with snow clinging to the mountain tops above it


Brief upstream to downstream sweep from the snowmelt to the falls to the outflow in high water; all while Tahia is messing with an emergency whistle


Downstream to upstream sweep of the falls from the far side of the stream at a more elevated position to allow seeing one of its upper tiers


Back and forth downstream to upstream and repeat from higher up on the trail leading to the falls' base revealing mountain snow as well as the bottom three main tiers of the falls itself


back and forth sweep focusing on the san antonio falls from the other side of the creek while also showing snow still clinging to some of the mountains


360 degree sweep from the bend in san antonio falls road before focusing in on the waterfall from a distant view including its uppermost tier


right to left sweep of the lookout of the san antonio falls with a bit of chatter in the background


Top down sweep of the falls in somewhat low flow in February 2015 (but still pretty). Then, the sweep continues downstream before ending at the scrambling trail leading to the base of the falls


360 degree sweep from right in front of the base of San Antonio Falls; even showing some remnant snow just a short bit further downstream


Full sweep looking at the surrounding area at the San Antonio Falls overlook with lots of snow


Bottom up sweep from right at the base of the falls focusing on the impressive waterwheel thanks to high flow and more snowmelt back in 2010


Brief bottom up sweep from the overlook area


Bottom up sweep of the falls from the trail leading to its base at a time when the falls was flowing more vigorously and when there was more snow around in 2010

Tagged with: angeles national forest, baldy, rancho cucamonga, fontana, san antonio, claremont, pomona, san bernardino, riverside, southern california, california, waterfall



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San Antonio Falls With Snow March 14, 2011 7:02 am by Jonathan - My wife and I are fairly new to visiting waterfalls, as we just started at the beginning of the year. We've been to several so far, and we love it! A few weeks ago we decided to check out San Antonio Falls. It had just snowed over the weekend, and for some reason I wasn't… ...Read More
Moon Walking & Rock Slides (San Antonio Falls) February 1, 2009 4:00 am by Jerry Sechler - We would climb up the falls along the crevice to the left of the falls all the way up then over to the chute to the left of the falls and run down the gravel chute. It was so steep it was like running on the moon. One step, then sink into the gravel, then… ...Read More

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