Top 5 Malibu Waterfall Hiking Destinations
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Top 5 Malibu Waterfall Hiking Destinations
What comes to mind when you think of Malibu, California? Beaches probably pop into your head first, quickly followed by large, expensive houses. With such a posh and beachy scene going on, the many natural wonders of the area may get overlooked. Malibu, and the Los Angeles area in general, boasts tons of parks, ranging from city parks to state parks and national recreation areas. From beaches to mountainous chaparral landscapes, you are sure to find a nature park that’s perfect for your next outdoor excursion. But does Malibu feature any waterfall hiking trails? Why yes, yes it does!
Actually, one of the favorite natural features to Malibu locals are the waterfalls. There are a surprising amount of them in the area, ranging from easy to get to those with some tricky boulder climbing and rock scrambling areas. We’ve compiled a list of the most popular Malibu waterfall hiking destinations, all of which are perfect day hikes as they all fall under 5 miles round trip. Whether you have lived in the area for years or are just visiting, we hope you find your new favorite southern Cali waterfall hike below!
Edward Albert Escondido Canyon Trail
By far the closest trail to downtown Malibu on our list, the Edward Albert Escondido Canyon Trail is a mere 3 minute drive from town. With its close proximity, it is also quite possibly the most popular trail on our list. Many people suggest visiting in the morning to beat the crowds.
The Escondido Canyon Trail is a simple 3.8 miles round trip with an easy 200 feet of elevation change. The trail is fairly flat for most of the hike and is rated as easy and being family-friendly. It actually starts out on a paved road that passes by a bunch of big, fancy houses, but don’t let that put you off. Continue on and soon you will be crossing Escondido Creek several times, but there are plenty of rocks to hop that you should have no problems getting across.
After only about a mile into the trail, you have already reached the falls! Escondido Falls are 150 feet tall altogether. It should be noted that the upper portion of the falls are actually located on private property. Hikers are warned against climbing them anyways to protect the natural environment and, you know, so you don’t take a nasty tumble. There have been several reports recently of rocks falling next to the falls due to people climbing, so don’t be part of the problem!
The best time of year to view Escondido Falls (and all of the falls on this list) is during the winter/rainy season. The falls can be completely absent during particularly dry times. Spring is also a great time to visit with all of the wildflowers blooming along the trail.
Solstice Canyon Hike
At a short 4 minutes to the trailhead, Solstice Falls is also extremely close to downtown. One of many of the trails on our list that are located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the Solstice Canyon Trail is an easy 2.6 mile round trip out and back trail. With a slight 300 feet of elevation change and a generously wide path, this is an easy trail and popular amongst families. Being another popular hike in the area and having a small parking lot that will only hold about 20 cars, be prepared to park elsewhere during busy times.
You’ll find yourself following alongside Solstice Canyon Creek as you make your way down the path. There are lots of picnic areas along the way too, so make sure to pack a lunch!
The falls themselves are about 30 feet tall and, of course, more prominent after a good rainfall. There are some neat ruins to check out in the area, including the Roberts Ranch House, which burnt down in a wildfire in 1982 after the death of the designer and special pump system was not kept up-to-date. Because of the history of wildfires in the area, the designer had included fire protection in the design of the house by adding pools, which supplied water for the pump system. You can also discover remains of statues along the creek bank near the waterfall, as well as ruins of the Keller House closer to the trailhead.
While you’re already there, be sure to head up to the Deer Valley Loop (which is a spur of the Sostomo Trail) to extend your hike and take in some lovely views of the Pacific Ocean from the canyon.
Newton Canyon Falls Trail
Also located in, you guessed it, the Santa Monica Mountains Rec Area, the Newton Canyon Falls Trail is longer at 5 miles round trip, making it a great one for those seeking some longer exercise and outdoors time! A quick 8 minute drive north of Malibu, this trail is rated as moderate as it includes some rock scrambling areas as well as lots of switchbacks and some inclines. (Note: Guests also warn to watch out for poison oak along this trail, so be sure to dress appropriately.)
Like many other areas in the Santa Monica Mountains, this trail was damaged by the Woolsey wildfire in 2018. Due to this, the regular Newton Canyon trailhead is still listed as being closed, so it would be prudent to start at the one off of Kanan Dume Road.
The Newton Canyon Falls Trail is one of the less popular (read: busy) hiking trails that features waterfalls in the Malibu area, perhaps because of the longer walk out to it. In other words, if you are looking for more seclusion, be sure to try this one out. The falls themselves are around 25 feet high and actually split into an upper and lower portion. As usual, you may have to walk through streams in the rainier season. It’s also worth noting that some people report having a hard time finding signage: This trail turns into the Backbone Trail, so you may end up finding signs for it instead of Newton Canyon Falls.
Alternately, after seeing the upper falls, you can walk down the creek until you reach the lower Newton Canyon falls (30ft), which you can’t miss since it runs right into a sheer drop off at the top of the lower falls. To reach yet another waterfall, take a trail to left of this falls, but make your way down this steep slope carefully. Once you reach the bottom, Zuma and Newton creeks join shortly. Stay to the right and you will reach Zuma Falls (23ft) in about 10 minutes.
The Grotto Trail
It wouldn’t be a list of Malibu waterfall hiking destinations without this beloved option. This fun trail is also located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Rec Area, or, specifically, near the Circle X Ranch ranger station. It is a little bit of a longer drive at half an hour west of Malibu to the trailhead.
The Grotto Trail is an out and back and 3 miles round trip, which is not bad at all. However, this one is a bit backwards and descends roughly 475 feet to get down to the grotto and waterfall area. Just remember: What goes down must come back up! It is rated as easy to moderate, depending on who you ask, due to the climb down some boulders, which we’ll talk about in a minute.
The Grotto Trail first passes by an old Boy Scouts camp, then follows a small creek (the west fork of the Arroyo Sequit). You’ll find lots of small caves along the way as well as wildflowers in the springtime. Once you get close to the grotto and waterfall, you’d better be prepared to do some climbing down some BIG boulders! These usually don’t prove too difficult for most, but could become tricky when wet. And again, just remember you’ll have to climb back up on the way out!
Once you make your way down, you will find a small 12 foot waterfall framed by an interesting boulder grotto. Talking about it doesn’t really do it much justice, though, so be sure to check out more pictures and see it for yourself!
Paradise Falls
For our last stop, we’re traveling about a half hour northwest to Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks. The main trail is rated as easy to moderate with only 260 feet of elevation change. (Paradise Falls trail also starts out by descending first.) This is another popular hike in the area as well as family-friendly.
There are several ways in and out, so be sure to follow signs along the trail or consult a map ahead of time. Quite a few forks are also found in the trail, but there are many signs for the falls. Paradise Falls can be completed as a 2 mile out and back trail or a 2.5 mile loop that passes by a small cave. You will also be able to view desert-like hills above from in the canyon, complete with cactus.
Paradise Falls measure at 40 feet tall and plummets into a nice large pool deep enough to swim in. However, swimming and wading are not allowed because the creek that feeds the falls is partially fed from street runoff. This area also boasts a rock grotto to the left of the waterfall.
As you can gather from some of the information above, there are plenty of other trails in the park if you want to extend your hike or take a different way back than you came. Wildwood Canyon Trail has an abundance of picnic tables as it runs next to the creek. Lizard Rock and Indian Cave are some other cool features you can see at the park, as well as a big teepee at one of the trail junctions!
Top 5 Malibu Waterfall Hiking Destinations - Conclusion
If it’s waterfall hiking trails you seek, you’ll find no shortage of destinations in the Malibu area. Even better, they are all a short drive (or walk!) away and make the perfect getaway for some exercise during the week or an enjoyable weekend excursion with family or a significant other. Just remember, the best time of year to view any of the waterfalls in and around Malibu is during the winter/rainy season. Not that any time outdoors is time wasted, but you may not be able to see some falls at all during extremely dry times. If you’re looking for more hiking destinations, check out our article “Best Hikes in the Grand Canyon North Rim“. On the other hand, if you’re complete new to the genre, consider reading “What Constitutes Hiking? A Casual Guide“. Happy hiking!
