Waterfalls near Los Angeles, California

How the list breaks down

Five of the six lie within 32 straight-line miles of the city's Census point. Sturtevant Falls above Arcadia is 26 straight-line miles away, and Paradise Falls in Thousand Oaks is 32 miles off as the crow flies. The sixth, Bonita Falls near Lytle Creek, is 54 straight-line miles out, so this page draws its circle at 75 straight-line miles instead of 50.

These six are every Southern California falls with a published page here as of November 2026. Falls in the region that we have not yet researched don't appear on the map or in the table.

As of our October 28, 2026 checks, Eaton Canyon was shut. Eaton Canyon's closure follows the January 2025 Eaton Fire and has no set reopening date (LA County trail alert, checked Oct 28, 2026). On October 21, 2026, COSCA shut all its trails for rain, Paradise Falls included. Paradise is open, as far as we can tell (Nov 11, 2026), when COSCA's closures page listed no weather-related closure.

What is shut, and what can shut at short notice

Eaton Canyon is closed to all entry, including the waterfall from any access point. The Forest Service's Eaton Fire closure area also runs through December 31, 2027. On forest land, its closure orders carry fines of up to $5,000 for individuals, up to six months in prison, or both.

Paradise Falls shuts whenever COSCA closes its trails after rain. The agency says it will post again when conditions are dry enough to reopen, so check its trail-closures page after any storm.

The other four open falls carry their own caveats. MRCA closes Escondido Canyon Park during Red Flag Warnings, most recently from October 15 to 17, 2026. At Sturtevant, the Forest Service says the Chantry Flat road can close to vehicles at any time. Switzer's site page showed Site Open on a Forest Service update of April 23, 2026, but Caltrans is the place to check SR-2.

Bonita Falls is open with a Forest Service rockfall alert that runs through December 31, 2026. The alert is a caution, not a closure.

Switzer, Sturtevant and Bonita: the Adventure Pass group

Three falls on this list are in national forests where parking takes an Adventure Pass, at $5 a day or $30 a year. An America the Beautiful pass also works. For Bonita, the pass rule comes from Wikipedia; we found no Forest Service page stating it for the Lytle Creek Road turnout.

Switzer Falls (22 straight-line miles): the Gabrielino Trail from Switzer Picnic Site is about 4 miles round trip, per Wikipedia. Trail guides range from 3.66 to 4.5 miles. The Forest Service lists vault toilets but no piped water, so carry all you need.

Sturtevant Falls (26 straight-line miles): a Forest Service brochure gives 55 ft, and Wikipedia says 60. Trail guides put the walk from Chantry Flat at about 3.3 to 3.7 miles round trip. The trail drops into the canyon first, so the climbing comes on the way back. Chantry Flat has flush and vault toilets and drinking fountains.

Bonita Falls (54 straight-line miles): Wikipedia describes an unmarked route of roughly 1.5 miles round trip up a wash. It puts the lower falls at roughly 370 to 400 ft. In June 2026 a hiker was killed by a falling rock near the falls, the Victorville Daily Press reported. Do not stand or rest under the cliffs.

Escondido and Paradise: outside the national forests

Escondido Falls is run by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA). You park at the Winding Way lot, 27200 Winding Way in Malibu, for $12. The first mile follows paved Winding Way, where MRCA warns of blind curves. The Edward Albert Trail then crosses the creek several times on the last mile to the lower falls.

Only that lower tier is on public parkland. MRCA says the upper falls are not open to the public and asks hikers not to climb. Leashed dogs are allowed, and the only restrooms are at the lot.

Paradise Falls is in Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, managed by COSCA. It is open, as far as we can tell (Nov 11, 2026), after an October 21 rain closure. COSCA's pages list no parking fee and sunrise-to-sunset hours. The Conejo Open Space Foundation gives about 40 ft for the falls and maps a 3.2-mile loop with about 550 ft of climbing. Dogs need a leash no longer than 6 ft.

Rain, flow and water rules

Rain decides how much water you see at two of the open falls. MRCA says Escondido Falls is minimal or non-existent in dry weather. The Outbound suggests Switzer in winter and spring after rain, and the Forest Service warns its stream may run low after dry winters.

We found no official best season for Sturtevant, Bonita or Paradise. At Paradise, rain is also what triggers COSCA's trail closures.

Paradise is the only falls here with a clear swimming answer, and it is no. The Conejo Open Space Foundation says the stream is urban runoff and tells visitors to stay out of the falls and the pool. The other open falls have no official swimming rule. Expect slick rock at every creek crossing.

Our California waterfalls guide covers falls elsewhere in the state.

Waterfalls near Los Angeles: FAQ