Waterfall Hike to Escondido Falls in Malibu

This is one of my favorite hikes, rated moderate if you are looking reach the upper falls since some scrambling is required so know you limits before attempting the this part of the hike.

The scenery is beautiful, the trail is not very difficult, and the payoff is totally worth it.

There are actually three parts to this hike.

The first part consists of a relatively hilly hike on paved road through a wealthy neighborhood.

The second part consists of a fire road which leads to the valley trail that will take us to the bottom of the waterfall.

From there, things get interesting. Escondido Falls actually consists of two tiers, and the third and best part of the trail is a scramble from the bottom of the falls to the upper tier.

This third part is very short, but it is a more difficult climb than the first two parts
Reaching the upper tier is like entering a hidden valley.

There's a rope swing over the pool, and, if you want, you can even climb into the waterfall itself and into the little nook behind it! On my last group hike here, we easily spent an hour just horsing around and taking pictures of our accomplishment.

Definitely one of the most rewarding hikes I've ever had the pleasure of tackling.

Photos from the last trips to the falls:

https://www.meetup.com/hiking-196/photos/1293364/21849069/

https://www.meetup.com/hiking-196/photos/951611/15664178/

________________________________________

Escondido Falls
Highlights: Spectacular 150 ft waterfall, lush creek side landscape, pleasant oaks
Near: Malibu, CA
Scenery: 4 out of 5 stars
Distance: 4.2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 400 ft
Hike Time: 2.5 to 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy (lower falls) Moderate (upper falls)

Summary: This hike takes you to one of the gems in the Santa Monica Mountains. The hike starts out on the pavement along Winding Way. After about a mile, an obvious trail takes you down into the lovely Escondido Canyon, criss-crossing creek 4 or 5 times. As you approach the base of the lower falls, you can see the water dropping over the lip of the 150 ft upper falls in the distance. The lower falls are about 50 foot high and trickle over a moss covered wall into a lovely shallow pool. This is the turn around point for those not comfortable with a bit of rock scrambling.
To get to the upper falls, take the trail to the right of the lower falls up an obvious gully. At the top of the gully, go left and follow the stream over some small cascades and boulders to the base of the upper falls. This is an amazing site, with water tumbling over 3 or 4 tiers, finally falling into a deep pool.

From Santa Monica drive north on PCH until you reach East Winding Way, there is a small parking lot just inside the exit on the left, as well as some roadside parking on the right.
We will meet in the parking lot. Parking at the base of Winding Way is there is no parking further up Winding Way, as it is private property.