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July 10, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Walt Meyer snapped these idyllic images at Cedar Creek Falls, perhaps the most beautiful place in San Diego’s East County. The towering waterfall is situated in Cleveland National Forest near Julian.
“The water was pretty and cold, but refreshing after the hike,” Meyer says. “The falls were beautiful.”
A permit is required from the U.S. Forest Service for this very strenuous hike, where many have suffered heat exhaustion or injuries, requiring rescues, and several have perished.
Hiking on a clear day in winter, or when temperatures are cooler, is recommended--and be sure to carry plenty of water for the steep, mostly shadeless climb out of this Eden-like oasis.
Meyers notes that on his recent hike, “This time, instead of having a ranger at the beginning of the trail, they had one at the end, near the waterfall. People coming down the trail told us he was checking permits and he had yelled at them for jumping off rocks or climbing the face of the waterfall.” Jumping off rocks into the pool is illegal due to past fatalities.
The fall plummets a dramatic 80 feet into a pool, accessible via the San Diego River Gorge Trail. In most years, the falls are dry in the summer months. On very hot days, the Forest Service will close the trail.
Find more information on Cedar Creek Falls here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cleveland/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=80293&actid=50
To obtain a permit,visit: https://www.recreation.gov/
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