Bear Canyon (Switzer Falls)
Arroyo Seco / Angeles Crest · near La Cañada Flintridge · Los Angeles / SoCal
Canyoneering
At a glance
- Grade
- basic
- Best season
- Late spring–fall; avoid after rain
What is here
- Setting
- mountain
- Amenities
- Shaded pools & small falls · Forested Arroyo Seco setting · Gentle downclimbs & rappels · Scenic, popular canyon
- Best for
- A gentle, shaded introductory canyon
- Features
- Scenic Switzer / Bear Canyon · Shaded pools & cascades · Gentle technical intro · Forested front-range setting
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Flash-flood risk — check weather · Verify current access — post-fire front-range closures affect the Arroyo Seco · Dangerous drop at the main Switzer Falls — do not scramble it · Slippery rock; cold pools
- Beginner friendly
- Yes
Canyoneering detail
- Character
- waterfalls · swims · rappels
- Water
- pools
- Commitment
- 2
- Descent notes
- A shaded, watery canyon below Switzer Falls in the Arroyo Seco — pools, small waterfalls, and downclimbs with a light rappel or two, a gentle, scenic introduction in a forested setting
- Stats note
- ~1–2 short rappels + downclimbs; popular approach; half-day
- Wetsuit
- No
- Intl tip
- A shaded, watery, gentle canyon below the popular Switzer Falls in the Arroyo Seco (off the Angeles Crest) — a forested gorge of pools, small cascades, and downclimbs with a light rappel or two, a fine introduction. Scenic and approachable for practicing fundamentals with an experienced partner. The main Switzer Falls has a dangerous drop not to be scrambled. Narrow drainage can flash-flood — never enter with rain, mind slippery rock and cold pools. Verify current access — post-fire front-range closures affect the Arroyo Seco.
- Directions note
- Park at Switzer Picnic Area off Hwy 2 (Adventure Pass)
The guide
Bear Canyon, tucked below the popular Switzer Falls in the Arroyo Seco off the Angeles Crest, is a shaded, watery, gentle canyo…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Bear Canyon (Switzer Falls) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.268, -118.145