Eaton Canyon Nature Center

The nature center staff is cheerful and helpful with maps. The trail to the falls is popular but manageable early morning. After rain, the creek crossings are more fun. Bring shoes you don’t mind getting damp. Families will appreciate the educational exhibits inside

This isn’t just a trailhead—it’s also a great educational center for kids and families. The indoor displays show local animals and geology, and the outdoor gardens are peaceful. The trail to the waterfall starts here, and it’s flat enough for most skill levels. Parking fills fast on weekends, so come early. A great blend of hiking and learning

Completed my very first full hike and can honestly say it wasn’t that bad. This trail is beautiful with a few creeks before you make it to the waterfall.

It’s a great simple hike that’s not too challenging with slight inclines and a few parts you’ll need to hop on rocks to cross a few streams. One thing that brings it down at least for me is how many people visit this location. Once we had to cross water it really started to jam up because everyone is crossing trying not to fall or get wet, ppl have their kids, etc. so that’s actually a little annoying.

Great hike to the waterfall. I expect to see more water. However, it was still beautiful. It's not a long distance to the waterfall, but we continued up the hill. Completing 9.5 miles out and back. The weather was great. This would definitely be more challenging during the summer because of the heat, but you will see more leaves by then. The water was cold, and although there were rocks and logs to assist with crossing the creeks, waterproof shoes/ boots are recommended.

Great hiking place ever! It takes some effort to get to see the water falls at the end of the trail. There are a lot of water crossings. Make sure to wear professional hiking shoes, otherwise it would be easy to wet ur feet or fall off the rocks. Friendly to doggies, my bestie Maggie did a good job, proud of her and myself.

A moderately steep 3.5‑mile trail with multiple creek crossings leads to a scenic waterfall set against the San Gabriel backdrop. I heard frogs croaking and watched birds in flight as I walked through the canyon. The falls had a clear pool at their base—inviting but cold. I encountered fewer people than I expected for Pasadena trails. Felt like discovering a watery oasis tucked into the hills

Wonderful place for easy hikes or walking! Definitely worth to explore around. There is lot of water in this week and you need to cross it couple of times. Be prepared as it’s cold and to get a little wet up to the knees. The parking usually gets full quickly but there’s extra space in the ground.

Eaton Canyon is a popular destination, especially in the spring when wildflowers bloom. Not much water right now. Go after a rain and you will see a wonderful waterfall.

The hike to Eaton Canyon Falls is one of the most popular hikes in all of SoCal. There is free parking at the trailhead with a big overflow parking lot. When we arrived at around 10 AM on a Sunday there were still spots left in the overflow lot. The hike to the falls is roughly 4 miles round trip and takes about 2 hours. Surprisingly it wasn't too crowded on this holiday weekend. Dog friendly! Be prepared. Wear shoes you don't mind getting wet as you will have to cross the stream numerous times leading up to the falls. Bring an extra pair of socks and shoes you can change into after you are done with the hike. There was a lot of water flow as we went in the heart of winter. A lot of families and other dogs were also on the trail. I am not sure if I will bring young children as it can be dangerous for them crossing streams but there were plenty of kids. Beautiful hike with plenty of nature! Enjoy!

Eaton Canyon has been on my bucket list for a while and I finally went. I went today thinking there wouldn't be as many people since most would be busy Black Friday shopping but I was wrong! I arrived around 9:10am and the main parking lot was filled up already but there was plenty spots left in the overflow lot. It's safe to say this trail will always be crowded. I appreciate how there was signage telling you if the main lot was full and where the exit was. Also appreciate the free parking! The first half of the trail is paved and sandy/rocky. The second half involves crossing over streams. I did a total of 10.7k steps round trip. Your shoes will definitely get wet so I recommend wearing a pair you wouldn't mind getting water and dirt on. The hike was overall clean and it felt like I was transported to a rain forest. You can also take your dog to accompany you but they are to remain leashed at all times.

What a great day for a stroll. After a car trip for 6 hours it felt good to stretch my legs and see some nature. It was a nice day and several other hikers were enjoying as well. Free parking in the canyon.

If you're prepared, Eaton Canyon can be a fun hike! It's about 1.5 miles out and another 1.5 miles back to the falls with a generally easy path with some moderate areas. Be ready to cross streams several times and scramble up some steeper sections. Unfortunately, we went on a day that was EXTREMELY crowded. There were lots of kids screaming and whining as well as many people blasting music from portable speakers. I'm all for a good time, but forcing other people to listen to music on a hike is just rude. Wear headphones. You might get lucky and find people selling fruit and popsicles about halfway through. We also saw a rattlesnake crossing the main trail. Be cautious, don't go off the trail, and don't let your dogs off leash in this area.

This is such a cool hike located in the city of Pasadena. It is a fairly easy hike average about 1.5 hr go and back. Very little incline, mostly flat. Depending on the amount of rainfall in the year, there are a few streams to cross to reach the waterfall. We visited on Spring time, in late April, the streams were ankle high. You will be surrended by wildflowers. So nIce to hike in the spring time. Be ready to skip rocks crossing the streams. There are about 6 to cross. If you are not balancing on the rocks, the streams are fairly safe to walk in. My daughter walked in them the whole time, and it was not slippery or muddy in the bottom. It is safe to say that you can walk in the streams with watershoes or even rubber slippers. Or I recommend packing a pair of them in your bag to change into. Bring a towel to dry your feet after. We enjoy the time skipping rocks and crossing the water. It was so much fun. If you have younger kids, they can play in the water. I recommend it to everyone.

Nice tree covered hike while in the hot summer heat. It's a very popular hike because of the waterfall.

Great place for a day hike on a medium level trail. Just a number of water crossings after it rains so sometimes the rocks become slippery. Good to bring a walking stick or hiking pole. Always busy and plenty of parking in lot and on the street. Lots of hikers walking up to the waterfall. Even a snack spot midway set up by some street venders selling waters and fresh cut fruit and snacks. Keep the trails clean and mind the wild life!

New Year, New You! Resolutions have to start somewhere, this is your start line! Relatively flat trail, great especially if you have kids. We were going to use our Bob double stroller but decided to let the kids walk instead and glad we did. We saw lots of parents using baby and toddler carriers, great place to ask for preferences. We parked on the street because the parking lot was closed today but just across from the entrance. We saw some peacocks wondering the neighborhood. Ran into some deer along the trail as well. Water all along the trail you can find any number of shaded areas to relax and take a break. We didn't make it up to the waterfall, well because we have little ones so they got tired. We had to carry them down on the shoulders, great little workout. Down the street it looked like the Rose Parade parks the floats after the parade. We wanted to stop by but the hike wore out the kids. Nothing like the kids sleeping from pure excitement and exhaustion all at the same time. So whether you are looking to start the new year to get that new bod or just want to glance at Mother Nature this is a great trail for anyone. Take snacks and water for your breaks!

Uh... how do you even review nature? "GOD'S creation on this side of the world is ok. But I wish birds chirped less. Score: 3/5" Lol! All jokes aside, this trail is incredibly fun and a bit challenging, especially due to the rocks and the many opportunities to slip on them. At the end, there's a gorgeous waterfall and a few people chilling in the water. Highly recommended for a beginner-level hike.

Beautiful small waterfall! I just wish people would not litter or tag the rocks on some parts of the trail. Pack it in, pack it out. Take advantage of this hike now while there is still plenty of water from the recent rainy season. Big parking lot with overflow dirt parking. Total hike was about 3.5 miles round trip. Prepare to get your feet wet but I have friends that have made it without dipping their feet in the water. Best to do this hike as early or late as possible. They do close the main gate but you can still get out at the overflow parking exit.

It's a two mile hike to the waterfall and of course two back. There are spots were you have to cross water by stepping on rocks and logs so prepare your feet for that. There isn't much shade for the first .75 of the mile so either go early or bring water. Dog friendly but many people don't keep their dogs on lease and one dog bit our dog crossing water. The owner didn't care either. Can be crowded so again go early to find parking. I wouldn't say this one was easy but also not moderate, in between if you're not super in shape. Beautiful waterfall at the end but tends to get crowded. Dogs are not supposed to swim but again people don't follow the rules so there are dogs swimming. Nice way to cool off though after the 2 mile hike.

Visited this trail recently with friends.It was indeed fun and easy hike specially at the end of the trail you will see and hear the sound of a cascading waterfall.I recommend it to anyone who loves walking/hiking,crisscrossing a river! Ps: pls wear your comfortable hiking shoes/boots or better yet wear a hiking water sandals since there's plenty of river crossings...

This is a popular and nice hike with lots of water flowing after the storm SoCal experienced in late August. I would rate the hike from easy to moderate. While there are not many inclines, there are a several parts where you will need to walk through shin deep water to get across. Bring a change of socks, shoes, and a towel if you want to change in the car on the way back. As with any hike, bring plenty of water and some snacks, enjoy the views!

If you're looking for it a little cool off and you are local to the area this canyon offers you such a beautiful waterfall. The round-trip to the Canyon area is about 4 miles. It takes you through a some ups and downs to get there, but nothing treacherous. Also-you have a lot of sun and shade throughout the trail, and you get to experience a lot of calmness. It's a beautiful.

A place full of bears, beets, and battle star galactaga. If you want to get an A in a Bio 10B iNaturalist project come here with an international student, a man who mixes up Glendora and Glendale, a girl who got an asthma attack, a random guy with a UCLA lanyard, your future wife, and some other random people I honestly forgot about (you're important too!). Yu, Oh yu. Chris destroyed you that day with the Shannon H value. He got yo ass SILENT IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE CLASS. This place is the real deal. Where memories are made and the bills are PAID. I love Eaton Canyon, however, sometimes I get as scared hiking there as I was when we almost signed over our house to a movie agency group. We thought it was all over. Demolished. Kicked out back to Pasadena ... No more brand new oven system in the back. No more gate that opens by itself. No more khachapuri.... Keep yo options open they say. Well shiiittt ... "I'm what this country needs" - SHITTT. NO. YOU. AINTTTT. Come hike the beautiful trails here and make it to the end where you will see a beautiful waterfall. Enroll in CONSERVATION (of) BIOLOGY AT UCLA and let your dreams run wild. Dream big. Work hard. This life is beautiful. You got this! (Maybe). Have a beautiful wonderful day.

Great trail with beautiful views! It gets extremely hot and if you go off the trail to get to the waterfall can get a bit tricky! Ambulance had to come for other hikers who went off the path. We ended up getting an Uber once we reached the top because we didn't have energy to go back down.

This is probably one of my favorite hiking trails in all of SoCal. Why? Because it's a great workout (there's a good mix of incline and non incline), it's not too long, there's a great variety in views (shaded, canyon, water, etc), it's local, it's well shaded with trees, there's plenty of free parking, and you get to see the occasional wild life (I've seen bird, snakes, and deer here). It gets very busy on the weekends and I also like to do a quick hike here on weekday early evenings if the sun is still out.

My favorite hike. So beautiful & green. Not too bare and out under the sun you are mostly under trees and near the river ( in shade) lots of walking on rocks so you need to have balance unless you are ready to walk through river. Go early. It gets crowded later! 10/10 recommend. Very enjoyable

Love hiking here, over the years it has become very crowded and people tend to linger which is fine but they trash the place and don't clean up after themselves. The hike itself is very scenic and beautiful, depending on the season it can be very hot so bring water and some light snacks. There is also someone who set up shop here to sell refreshments, they're extremely overpriced and he definitely needs a trash can so people don't litter all over the place. Anyway, there is a shortcut if you drive into the neighborhood that cuts the hike down to about 30 minutes, when you get to the falls depending on the day it can be very overcrowded but it is beautiful. 5 stars for nature but 0 stars for the people who come here with no respect for the place. I recommend but just clean after yourself if you go because a lot of people don't unfortunately.

This has been one of my go to hiking spots since high school. It is pet friendly and there is plenty of parking. I revisited this hike most recently on May 2023. Because this is such a popular hiking spot, they have graciously created another parking lot called the overflow lot. There you can find plenty of parking spots on the dirt road. The hike itself took my friend and I around 4 hours and it was about a 4? mile hike. The hike is well worth the trip because you are able to encounter river crossings and a waterfall at the very end of the hike. It is a pretty easy hike for beginners - I saw a ton of kids doing it, people in jeans, people wearing dresses, hiking in flip flops/crocs, etc. Theres is rocky terrain and a lot of navigation needed to walk across the rocks through the river/streams so I would not recommend it to elderly people who are prone to slip and break a bone. I would, however, highly recommend it to dogs! I brought my pup and he was so scared of he water, I had to carry him through all of the streams. BUT (proud mama moment), I forced him to cross one river on his own and he got the hang of it/was able to cross the rest of the rivers! I highly recommend waterproof shoes/hiking boots if you don't like to hike with soggy socks/shoes. It is almost guaranteed 100% that your shoes will get wet. Waterfall at the end of it all was plentiful and beautiful! I have not seen the waterfall so strong before (thank you rain). 10/10 would recommend this hike and I dare say this is one of my favorite hikes of all times!

One of best hike I ever did pretty cool water park and good place to walk and chill pretty nice place

This place is beautiful and a great hike, but it's way too overcrowded. A lot of people are obviously here for insta worthy photos and it's just distracting from the beautiful nature. You basically have to wait In line to cross creeks and certain paths. That's how crowded it was.

They have a really great nature center that's kind of hidden if you don't look closely. It's to the left right before the path entrance and has restrooms. Inside has great exhibits with live snakes and lizards to see. Had no idea there'd be a mini reptile zoo here. Very fun to look around as we were about to leave. The hike itself isn't difficult and has plenty of shade/ rest stops on the trail. With running water stream next to you the air quality is great and not dry. A good way to spend 2-3 hours. My one big concern is crossing the stream right when you begin the trail. There is some rocks and a log to use but it can be dangerous with slipping. Really wish they'd build a small crossing bridge or add more stones to the path without affecting the stream too much. Saw a lot of people struggle crossing and could've had accidents. That's why I give it 3 stars bc of the safety concerns. You need high top shoes to avoid getting your feet wet otherwise you're definitely going to need new socks and shoes on hand. I think there should be more warnings about this part of the trail on the website or other platforms.

This trail is beautiful. It gets very busy during holidays. It's usually more busy on the weekends than weekdays as well. This trail is good for families. Many people bring their pets as well. A good portion of the trail is shaded. Always bring more water than what you expect to need. There is some moderate incline. Trail shoes or hiking boots are good for this hike. There's different streams of waters throughout the trail. Many people jump in to refresh after the hike. You can bring food and picnic on the rocks surrounding the water. The waterfall gets crowded for pictures. They have 2 sections of parking on the inside of the trail and street parking on the outside. Happy hiking.

A very fun hike for the whole family, including dogs! It was more difficult than expected crossing the rocky streams though. At times I thought the log bridges were too narrow to use. Make sure you have waterproof shoes and extra pairs of socks! There are real bathrooms in the nature center thankfully. Parking lots available. We were able to find a spot pretty quickly despite the lot looking quite full around 12pm on a Saturday.

I love scenery. It's peaceful yet refreshing. Just be an aware at times you will get your feet wet due certain areas you'll have to cross the water path. Parking can be a little hard since there are many people going.

As of January, there is a-lot of water! Thankfully for the rain in the recent days! There is definitely river crossing. Most people were taking their shoes off, or walking straight in with shoes. There's no way to cross without getting your feet wet! The water is pretty ice cold, but not snow melt cold! The place has lots of parking! And over flow parking. It was definitely muddy out. There are portable potties near the entrance and if the nature center is open they have restrooms as well.

Eaton canyon was beautiful to hike through this spring! Absolutely refreshing. Water was everywhere. We had to pass through multiple streams to get the waterfall. We ended up getting really wet. Soaked all the way up the knees. We saw a few climbers up near the waterfalls. It was pretty cool to watch them climb down it. I felt a sense of accomplishment from them. Total energy vibe.

Great relaxing wide trails, but lots of foot traffic. There were lots of dogs but we were still able to keep a good distance from others. The trail to Eaton falls was more shady in the last 1/3 but also had more rocks. Make sure to wear sunscreen if it's a hotter day. Pretty easy hike overall. Surprisingly there was a decent amount of water at the fall! The front parking lot gets full quickly but there's a massive overflow lot just next to it.

I am not a super fit person, but I do enjoy a nice hike with pretty views. This is a simple hike with very mild inclines. Has all the best part of hikes, streams to cross, shady areas that feel like you're walking through a forest, open portion to get some Sun, nice boulders to climb on (only if you want). Of course the best part is the waterfall. It's a small one that is usually dry in the summer. I loved doing this hike solo with my dogs, with adult friends and now with my children. Kids are 8 and 10 and have no problems completing this trail. 100% recommend for families.

Beautiful trail and great waterfall at the end. Be ready tho, there are way more water crossings than I was expecting. Rocks are slippery and it's often crowded so I felt the urgency to move quickly. I slipped even tho I was careful and my shoe got drenched. Don't wear your best shoes! Make sure they have grip tho for the climbs up and down. Not an easy hike, prob 2 hours round trip. Get there early because parking gets full.

There are so many trails in this natural area and I finally explored the Eaton Canyon Waterfall. It was a fairly easy hike 2 mile hike that gets pretty crowded by families and it is dog-friendly. There are a few instances where you have to cross streams and balance on rocks, which can get slippery. When you arrive at the waterfall, it's a great spot to chill, have some food, and just relax to the sounds of the rushing water. WIth the rainfall, the waterfall was a decent size. I'm glad I did this hike once, a little too crowded for me, but it's nice to know this little hidden waterfall gem is so close. On to the next trail!

This was such a great hike. The route that me and my daughter took us 3 hours to finish but we didn't explore every part of the hike and we did take our time to explore and enjoyed watching the stream. Easily comparable to Black Star Canyon Falls but a lot shorter. There was no problem getting to the water fall with my six year old. I saw plenty of children and dogs as well. There is limited street parking and the hike is more enjoyable before the sun comes out or on a gloomy day. Lots of wild life so be respectful to them and please clean up after yourself.

I absolutely love hiking here. I have been hiking here for years with my family. The trails here are very popular and commonly used by families. It is dog friendly. There are multiple rivers to cross before you reach the waterfall. Be careful though. The rocks are very slippery. It's a 2 - 3 mile hike to the waterfall depending on whether or not you take a detour. It's an easy hike with not a lot of uphill or downhill. The parking lot does get full very easily and quickly if you come after 10am. If the main parking lot is full, you may be directed to park in the overflow area. All the parking spots are decent.

My husband and I love hiking at Eaton Canyon Trails that we hike every so often for the past 9 years that we have been together! This most recent time we came was on 01/06/2024, and we brought our 10 month old kitten, Miku (IG @miku.thefold. Please follow to see more of her adventures! We'd appreciate your support!), for her first hike!

This is by far my favorite hiking trail so far. With all the rain we had, it really had a beautiful waterfall and stream. I would go earlier than 9:00, so you can make sure to have parking and not have so many people on the trail. What bothers me, is with many people on this trail, be respectful with your dogs and keep them away from people. I saw two dogs almost getting in a fight, and the owner realized he couldn't control his dog, so anytime he walked by another dog, he would get off the trail to avoid another fight. It was pretty scary to see and how ugly it was going to be if they were not on leashes. You do need to bring another pair of shoes, since yours will get wet. It was such a fun, relaxing day.

Parking: There's lots of parking! I arrived around 9:30 on a Saturday morning and got lucky finding a spot at the very front. There's an additional parking lot but the entrance isn't totally clear you have to cross red lines to get through. Security: I felt very safe on this hike in terms of environment and overall comfortability. There was always a patrol car around doing rounds. Hike to waterfall: This took about 1.5 miles to hike to the waterfall. There's A LOT of rocks you have to jump on that's in the river so make sure you're comfortable hoping on and off rocks and walking through dirt areas. Though this is an easy hike (low impact/not very inclined) you will be climbing rocks, walking on logs, rocks, etc make sure to wear hiking shoes if you have it or any shoes that have a good grip on the bottom to latch onto the rocks so you don't slip (I saw a girl go straight down and wet her entire body). Do NOT wear sandals. There are lots of little rocks everywhere and shards of glass in some places. Tips: 1. Wear lots of sunscreen! 2. Bring a small bag w snacks and water because there's a lot of spots to sit at around the waterfall chilling before your hike back to your car. 3. If you have dogs know that they WILL get wet and very very dirty. Every single dog we saw coming back had dirt up their legs and were wet so make sure to bring a cover for your car or towels to protect those seats. 4. Trash bags because I saw people just dump their snacks -___- 5. Good attitude This hike was so much fun. I'd totally come back and do it again.

Beautiful hike. Lots of creeks. Not too long of a hike. Perfect to bring your toddler. I will bring my dog here next time. Overall it was a fun family hike.

Great hike very beginner friendly ! Beautiful views and overall great experience I loved the waterfall and the water was great temperature not too cold not too hot

***TIP FOR THOSE WHO WANT AN ALTERNATIVE ENTRANCE*** The hike from the parking lot (first 1.5 miles can be soooo boring and long. And also extremely sunny. For those who want to go straight to the shaded area with the stream and rocks, keep driving up Altadena Dr until the next entrance *PINECREST DR ALSO CALLED MT WILSON/PINECREST GATE* You will however have to park on the residential area and do follow the parking signs, one person got a ticket because they didn't see the arrow where it began. If you are Going to the Parking lot, it is Pretty big and easy to access. FREE! The hike? About 4.2 miles round trip from parking lot to the waterfall. Easy-Medium difficulty. Cons: can be crowded but still bearable and walkable. Gets nice and cool when you start ascending so bring a light jacket/layer. MUST: have good grip shoes just because the wet rocks can get slippery. But it's nothing close to hardcore hikes. It's just for a better experience if you have a good grip sole. RECOMMEND: Hiking sticks or something for balance if you want to keep your shoes dry. Depends on how much snow is melting/stream. Fun to go with 2+ people.

I never realized Eaton Canyon has so much water and the mountain is so green until this winter! My husband and I came here two weeks ago after couple days' rain. There were nice streams and a huge fall. It was so much fun to cross all the streams and see the waterfall in the end. It took us about 3 hour to finish the whole hike, include 20 mins break in the fall area. Here is the address for parking lot: 1750 N Altadena Dr, Pasadena, CA 91107 Highly recommend to: 1. come early and park in the parking lot, instead of on street. It is just much safer and easier. The parking lot open at 8 am on weekends. we arrived around 7:45 am on a Saturday and parked on the side of the gate to wait for the park ranger to open it. It was way less people in the trail but when we head back there were so many people waiting to pass streams. 2. Wear water prove hiking shoes and pants. Even it's fun to get wet but is WINTER now. My husband and I passed more than 10 streams and we didn't get wet once. 3. come after rains/ winter time. I saw so many streams this time and the weather is so chill. It's perfect! However, during summer, mountain is yellow, no stream or fall because is so dried. The weather is super hot, I almost got heat stroke once.

The Eaton Canyon Trail is great for beginners and those who are not in the best physical condition. It is only 1.43 miles long, and the main trail's steepness is rated from gentle (0-10%) to moderate (10-15%), never steep (15%+). Easily completed, even if one is out of shape! :D A side trail will lead to lead to the scenic Eaton Canyon Falls, where everyone seems to want to pose for a photo. If you are an experienced hiker and in peak physical condition, you can continue onto the Altadena Crest Trail, which begins at the north end of the Eaton Canyon Trail. Speaking of which, I always park at the public lot in the south end of Eaton Canyon Trail, and work my way north. However, there is also a pedestrian entrance at the north end of the trail, from which you could work your way south (or start the Altadena Crest Trail instead, if you want a *far* more challenging journey). Sadly, from what I saw, a number of visitors on the trail are failing to police their trash, not to mention the feces from their dogs. Watch your step on the trail so you don't tread on said feces. P.S. It's probably safest to come with companions and stay on the (main) trail - I made the mistake of wandering way off the trail, and had a strange and terrifying encounter with what was probably most accurately described as a mentally ill vagrant (nothing serious ultimately came out of it, but I'd rather not repeat that traumatic experience).

Free, no calories and people enjoying the weather- what's not to like. I brought the dog here on one of the few sunny days we've had in between the storms. The creek was rushing and it was fun watching people cross it. Lots of wet feet. Plenty of parking, people were great.

I've done hike in the dry season and it's a very easy hike, however, I just went right after a series of rainy weeks and this hike was a mission to complete! A once dry hike was filled with about 10 very strong current stream crossings. Came on sat 3/25/23, at around 7:00am and the gates to the parking lot were closed until 8am so we parent on the side of the road and walked to the trailhead. The stream crossings were very strong and we're about knee to waist deep. We were all freezing from the cold since we went early morning. Make sure you bring extra set of clothes and shoes, towel, hiking sticks, and a warm jacket if you want to do this hike after a really rainy season. The waterfall was beautiful and the hike wasn't as crowded as usual probably because of the strong current stream crossings and cause we came early in the morning.

Hike to the falls, in rainy years it might be awesome but after years of drought, well, there is water but it's a trickle. Fortunately, there are other paths to canyons that branch off from the main trail to explore. Basically, after a mile or so approach over a groomed gravel path, the trail heads into the narrow snake canyon with high walls and mostly shaded by trees and vegetation. The river rocks and pebbles also present a new obstacle but it's easy to know where to go, just keep going forward. If you get lost here you have a special talent. I wore medium-high hiking boots that provided sure footing and comfort over the rockier sections. I saw people slipping and sliding because they were wearing ordinary speakers and such, so consider at least trail running shoes with an aggressive tread. Aside from that, bring a large water bottle. It's only 4-miles in and out but it can get warm. No other special gear necessary unless you have a dog. I hit midday when the parking lot was fairly empty, but when I was heading back there were growing numbers of people on the way to the falls. I understand this place gets quite crowded so that could get annoying. Overall, I appreciated how close to civilization I was without hearing or seeing much once immersed. I also appreciated seeing virtually no graffiti and only occasional piles of dog poop that people neglected to pick up, and one bag of poop selfishly discarded. Seriously, it's great bringing dogs but take care of them and their business. Most people I saw had water for the pooches. That said, I look forward to checking out the other paths and coming back to see if more water is flowing.

An extremely easy but very pleasant hike. Took us just over an hour so this was more of a nature walk than a hike. Other reviewers are accurate in that it is extremely crowded so go early and on a weekday if possible. Luckily we were able to get a few minutes alone at the falls but that did not last long. Parking in the neighborhood is fairly easy although it is in 2 hour maximum increments. There is pretty much no elevation gain nor any rock climbing needed. Also the stream crossings were very minor and your feet do not have to get wet at all. No gear is required, just some good shoes. My favorite part was the waterfall at the end or the guard tower structure at the beginning. We climbed into and up the small tower to have our lunch; it only sits 2 people inside it at the top so it can be extra fun with the right company. Overall a great hike, but not sure I will return due to the short length, ease, and popularity of the trail, but it really beautiful and something worth seeing at least once.

What a phenomenal hike! Kid and pet friendly. Plenty of parking and well off we go. Nice flat walk with a little up and downs but fairly easy hike all together. Plenty of resting spots with shade. Best part is getting to the beauty of this waterfall! Have a seat on a rock and get your feet wet for great photo ops! Did over 14,000 steps and about 3 hours in and out.it's of cool best features like enclosed spaces and a hidden bridge. 3 different trails to choose from so we will definitely venture out again to try the others to explore. One of my favs for length and scenic things to explore. My leg's definitely need a massage now haha!

Returned after several years and the trail was clean and with less graffiti! Because of all the storms this year, the waterfall is fabulous, especially on a hot day!