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 Reporter |
Summary: This hike takes you to one of the gems in the Santa Monica Mountains. The hike starts out on the pavement along Winding Way. After about a mile, an obvious trail takes you down into the lovely Escondido Canyon, criss-crossing creek 4 or 5 times. As you approach the base of the lower falls, you can see the water dropping over the lip of the 150 ft upper falls in the distance. The lower falls are about 50 foot high and trickle over a moss covered wall into a lovely shallow pool. This is the turn around point for those not comfortable with a bit of rock scrambling. To get to the upper falls, take the trail to the right of the lower falls up an obvious gully. At the top of the gully, go left and follow the stream over some small cascades and boulders to the base of the upper falls. This is an amazing site, with water tumbling over 3 or 4 tiers, finally falling into a deep pool. Attempts to climb beyond the base of the upper falls could result in serious injury! Trailhead: From Kanan Road, drive south a mile or so on Pacific Coast Highway (1) to East Winding Way and turn left. The signed parking lot is on the left side of Winding Way. The trail actually follows the paved Winding Way for about a mile, after which you will see an obvious trail to the left. Follow the trail until it hits the stream, then just follow the trail upstream until you come to the lower falls. (Lat:34.0258 Lon:-118.78376) Trail Guides for Escondido Falls: California Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Ann Marie Brown (Foghorn Press) Day Hikes Around Los Angeles by Robert Stone (Day Hike Books, Inc.) Afoot & Afield In Los Angeles by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Spring, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy - (310) 589-3200 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 14 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Jonathon on 5/29/2009 Went w/ a friend on a weekday. We are quite active and found this hike to be easy w/ some moderate scrambling and sliding, depending on which route you take. Poison oak abounds and can be unavoidable in some areas. A lot of teenagers, esp couples, were cozied up in various nooks, while middle-aged gals with dogs trekked about- overall, a varied group of peeps. The 1st waterfall was nice, water a little murky. The 2nd was pretty, and if you are lucky enough to snag the tree bench adjacent to the fall, it's a pretty respite on a nice, sunny day. It's a pretty escape for those who haven't much time to get away, but I wouldn't say it's amazing. Pretty, yes, and worth going back to for a nice getaway. 
Reviewed by jason on 5/29/2009 Error: Reserved Word Found: ;
Reviewed by cc on 5/15/2009 you're hiking half a mile through million dollar homes which wasn't that great because it was like walking into their driveway. But as you get into the trails, things start to become more interesting. I went with a group of 5 about 2 weeks ago on a scorching hot day. When we reached the first waterfall, we thought that was it and was really disappointed since it was just a trickle of water. Then we asked some bikers and they directed us the way to get to the second one. AMAZING SITE. A bit of a streep climb but doable. We were all first time climbers. Amazing site.
Reviewed by D on 5/13/2009 Hiked yesterday, it was an awesome hike to go on will do it again. The second waterfall was filled with water. With the nice breeze and the water falling, it was misty. 
Reviewed by josh on 4/27/2009 this hike was awesome. so much fun. my friend took me and my girlfriend for the hike and it was worth it. the larger falls are so beautiful. we then hiked to the top of the larger falls and let me advise you it is very dangerous. slipped many times and there isn't much protection at all. however the veiw from the top of the falls is incredible, peacefull and you can see the ocean too.
Reviewed by S.S. on 4/20/2009 There isn't as much water coming down the falls as there was a couple months ago. That said, this is still a really enjoyable hike offering plenty of relief on a hot day. A surprising amount of wildflowers were blooming along the trail to. For photos and more: http://budurl.com/escondido
Reviewed by Yasmin on 4/18/2009 I started off with a very large group. I loved this trail! I hiked two days ago. The first waterfall is small but the second one is amazing. The climb up makes it even more satisfying. My friend took so many pictures, gorgeous. Definitely going to go up again. Everyone was so friendly too, not many people either.
Reviewed by jW on 4/14/2009 Awesome! Best time to go is after the rain. Trail has been fixed and easy to navigate. Was able to take nice pics Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Los Angeles County Hiking, Los Angeles County Trails, Los Angeles County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||