Malibu Waterfall Hike: Escondido Falls

Did you know that there are waterfalls in Malibu called Escondido Falls? Well, sometimes there is, obviously we are constantly in a drought, but even when the water’s not a-flowin’, the falls are still really fun to hike to, and beautiful to see!

This post is recently updated as of March 16, 2019 — It has been raining like crazy in LA so the the falls are currently-a-flowin’!! Bonus perk is that there’s also an epic Super Bloom going on (flowers and grass EVERYWHERE!), so definitely do this hike ASAP!

Just to confirm, YES this hike is OPEN following the tragic Malibu Fires, which you can see remnants of along the pathway.

WARNING: The hike to the upper waterfall requires legit rock climbing (like with your hands), so be prepared for that, and also DON’T bring your dog unless it can scale a rock wall!

See below for a video of what Escondido Falls hike currently looks like and also behind the scenes footage of how I got the photo above!

https://www.instagram.com/tv/BvE5Tv7Fmg5/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Time: 2-3 hours depending on your rock climbing skills and amusement for waterfalls

Distance: 3.8 miles roundtrip

Bring: Hiking shoes, water, backpack (you need your hands for climbing), sunscreen, snacks

Getting There

From Los Angeles, it’s about an hour depending on the dreaded LA traffic and your driving capabilities. Head west to the PCH (Highway 1), then head North. Keep going past Pepperdine, but don’t pass Pointe Dume.

You should see a sign for Escondido Canyon on the right where there’s a parking lot you can park in, or street parking.

The Hike

You have to walk up a paved road for about 0.75 miles, which isn’t very scenic unless you’re into real estate *Or unless it has rained recently and there’s a Super Bloom. But you’ll soon see the sign for the trail which goes through some forestry before opening up to the hiking trail.

This is the easy part, with only a 150ft incline increase over one mile.

Lower Waterfall

After the easy part of the hike you’ll end up in a cute little tropical clearing where the lower, 50ft waterfall is. There’s a little pool under it, and if you climb up the cliff, a really pretty moss-covered nook you can (very carefully) step inside.

Mountain Climbing

The next part isn’t so easy but it’s a lot of fun. I was not aware that the hike would require me to climb up the mountain using my hands, and at one point, a rope, but it was very interesting and exciting. It’s only a 0.15 mile climb, but you gain 200ft of elevation before you get to the base of the upper waterfall, which is three times as large.

I accidentally went the wrong way and ended up climbing higher, above the waterfall, before realizing I had missed the turn to get to the base of it, but it made for some breathtaking views of the entire mountain range and waterfall below.

Upper Waterfall

As I mentioned, the waterfalls might be dry if there hasn’t been any rain, but even dried up it was still beautiful, and definitely worth the climb to see it!