The Underappreciated County In Southern California That's Home To At Least 30 Heavenly Waterfalls
By Natasha Kayes|Published March 11, 2023
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Natasha Kayes
Author
I was born and raised in sunny Southern California and will never tire of the West Coast, although I spent several years living in Southeast Asia, about as far from California as you can get. Wherever I am in the world, I love straying from the beaten path, experiencing local life, and discovering hidden gems - camera in hand. The beach is my happy place and when I am not there (or writing), you will usually find me baking, watching movies, and cuddling my pugs. I have traveled around the country and around the world, and it never, ever gets old. Being able to combine my passion for travel and my love of writing is nothing short of a dream.
No one would think of Los Angeles County as one that goes unnoticed or disregarded. After all, this is the home of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Santa Monica. Everyone knows L.A. County for its dining, entertainment, the airport, and celebrities. But there is more to this Southern California county and it often goes under the radar. When it comes to natural beauty, no one seems to think of this mainly urban part of the state, but there are no fewer than 30 waterfalls in Los Angeles County!
There are a few waterfalls in the western part of the county that local hikers know well, such as Escondido Falls and Solstice Canyon, but fewer know about Newton Falls in the same region.
Where there are named falls, there are often more falls in the area, especially after it rains. These are sometimes smaller falls on the same creek or perhaps on unmarked trails that part away from the main trail, like the ones here near Newton Falls. These kinds of waterfalls make the county list quite a bit longer!
Pacific Palisades is an area of L.A. with lots of hiking trails and several waterfalls, including Temescal Canyon, another place where you will find falls of varying sizes cascading through the boulders along the same creek.
Whitney Canyon Park, located in Santa Clarita, has over 400 acres of trails, oak woods, a creek, and waterfalls. And it is located right next to one of Los Angeles County’s highways.
Not far from Burbank is the lovely hike to Trail Canyon Falls, a tall, vertical waterfall that is reached by crossing a creek several times, which also has tiny waterfalls at various points along the way.
Of course, in Southern California, which is mostly urban (or suburban) and gets pretty dry in the summer, the best time to see waterfalls at their best - in fact, the only time some of them actually flow - is in the early spring after a good amount of rain. As a bonus, this is also when the trails become color, with vibrant green ground cover and a variety of wildflowers that pop up.
It would be easy to think that reaching any really great waterfall requires a long and arduous hike, but there are several spectacular falls that are really quite accessible. The trail to the picturesque 25-foot Cooper Canyon Falls is fairly short (though a little steep at the end) and is a beautiful hike through an old-growth forest.
There is also a campground at the trailhead so you could easily spend the weekend exploring this beautiful area which has other swimming holes as well.
This one does take a much more adventurous spirit and hiking experience but the reward when you reach Stoddard Canyon Falls is a 40-foot waterfall and natural waterslide that flows into a swimming hole surrounded by rock.
Not all of L.A. County’s stunning waterfalls are natural. For example, some dams in the county have very cool cascades as well as lush greenery, trails, and wildlife. This particular one is Brown Mountain Dam.
There are many more waterfalls, both natural and man-made falls, in this county that is known more for its city lights and buildings. Have you explored any of the lesser-known waterfalls in Los Angeles County? Do you know of any that are not named above? Let us hear from you in the comments.
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