Last Wednesday, I led a group to visit Escondido Falls in Malibu. This was by far the prettiest falls I have visited this year. Another short hike but worth it.
To get to the falls, after parking along PCH or the self pay parking lot, you have to walk a mile up a road through some private property but no one really bothers you. The official name of the trailhead is Edward Albert Escondido Canyon Trail.
You begin to descend a narrow path through a shaded canyon. There were only three stream crossings and the water level was low. There are lots of rocks and logs to assist with the creek crossings.
It is a multi-tiered fall that stands tall at 150 ft. Most people visit the lower falls. However, the crazy hiking group that I hike with like to go off trail and explore.
Our plan for the day was to find our way to the upper falls and climb over and beyond that to get to the very top of the upper tier. Well, a few of us succeeded.
There is a use path to the right of the lower falls. It is very steep, rocky and loose. As we were climbing we found the middle waterfall which was well hidden behind a rock wall. Just keep in mind that the waterfalls above the lower falls are not visible from the bottom even though it is a multi-tiered waterfall.
Anyways, going beyond this point was more of a scramble with some bushwacking. We had to find our way to the upper falls through the trees and brush. Once we made it to the upper tier we were rewarded with a beautiful rainbow that stretched across the lower part of the uppper falls. There was also a huge pool of water that we dipped in. It was freezing cold but it was very refreshing.
To add, in order to get to the top of the falls, if you dare there is a path to scramble up a steep, semi-vertical rock wall. There was also a rope for assistance but it was not very long. There was plenty of foot holds but as we ascended further it got harder to climb. Once the ropes were no longer available to assist us, we had to use three-points of contact. There was a vertical chute to climb and then a really tough shelf to scramble up. Once we reached this point we could continue up and over the falls and the views were spectacular from what I heard!
Not everyone made it beyond this point including myself. It was a risk and if you fall you could get seriously hurt. I would not recommend it unless you are very experienced with class 3-4ish technical rock climbs.
I only went mid way just before I reached the top shelf. I didn't have a helmet. No one from my group did but a few went anyways, That was one risk I was not willing to take.
Needless to say, It was a beautiful day and the falls were spectacular!
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