Cedar Creek Falls (CA)

Cedar Creek Falls Trail | Hiking near San Diego This is a down-then-up trail, and it requires crossing a creek about three times before reaching the waterfall at the end. The waterfall is quite impressive in scale and is one of the largest in the San Diego area. After doing several relatively boring “pure exercise” trails around San Diego—where there’s not much to see except endurance training—this trail stands out as one of the best in both scenery and overall experience in the region. However, it becomes extremely difficult once the weather gets hot. After descending into the canyon, temperatures can become dangerously high. On the day we went, it happened to be one of the hottest days in early May in San Diego. At the trailhead, we were told it could reach up to 110°F in the canyon, and even the ranger seemed unsure why the trail hadn’t been closed. Despite that, my friend and I both had some hiking experience and decided to continue down. Once we reached the waterfall pool and got into the water, it was genuinely amazing. My friend is a strong swimmer and was able to swim right under the waterfall, getting some incredible photos completely alone at the base (very jealous). I’ll definitely bring a float next time. The pool is quite large, bigger than a typical neighborhood swimming pool in San Diego. The water temperature felt around 20°C, which was extremely refreshing in the heat. There were even fish visible in the water. During the peak midday heat, we stayed in the waterfall pool for about two hours and didn’t want to leave. The return hike from the waterfall back to the trailhead is all uphill. The trail itself isn’t technically difficult, but the extreme heat makes it much harder. On the way up, we saw a woman who had collapsed and was sitting by the side of the trail looking exhausted and possibly dehydrated. Fortunately, her partner stayed with her while she rested. We shared some of our remaining water, half of what we had left, as well as energy gels and electrolytes. This kind of down-then-up trail can be misleading for beginners. Going down feels easy, but the climb back up in high heat can be extremely challenging. It’s not recommended to go alone. Bring plenty of water, sugar, and electrolytes, and know your limits. If you feel unwell, stop and rest—don’t try to push through extreme heat.