Escondido Canyon Park is nestled in the hills of Malibu, overlooking the Pacific and Catalina Island. It’s a quick hike to a picturesque overlook that winds up several levels of waterfalls on a lightly wooded path. It may take some creativity to find solitude here, but it’s a perfect little jaunt for a late afternoon. Getting to the top of the falls requires some scrambling up rock and gravel, but the journey along the gentle stream is peaceful. A technical rock climbing route is located to the left of the top falls with bolted protection.

Basic Info:

• 3.5 miles
• Casual footwear, or rock climbing shoes for more technical ascents on the rocks.
• Bring a camera! Great sunset hike.

Escondido Falls at EveryTrail

Heading north on the PCH, make a right onto Winding Way and park near a restroom facility on a slight grade immediately after turning. Walk the rest of the way up Winding Way road past a few mansions to the trailhead, about .7 of a mile.

After starting on the trail, you’ll encounter a few forks. The key is to stay heading upstream. If you find yourself hiking downstream, it’s time to turn around. Although this area is far from remote- being surrounded by castles and such- one can find serenity and feel as if they’re far away. The convenience and brevity of this hike is what makes this trail so popular. It’s quick, easy and fun.

The trail makes a bend to the right and the falls will be unmasked through the trees ahead. At the base, there is the first waterfall. Beyond this begins a steady uphill climb over rocks and the stream.

You can choose to go as high as you’d like. I went to the very top with my roommate James. We took to separate paths to get there. I used a rock notch (see pictures) to shimmy up, while James circumnavigated a steep drop off. By the time we reached the top, we had an impressive array of hues from the sunset as a reward. Catalina Island was clearly visible from our vantage. All in all, a very nice evening!