Hermit Falls (Big Santa Anita)
Chantry Flat / Arcadia · near Arcadia · Los Angeles / SoCal
Canyoneering
At a glance
- Grade
- basic
- Best season
- Late spring–summer for warm water; avoid after rain
What is here
- Setting
- foothill
- Amenities
- Pools, slides & optional jumps · Short waterfall rappel · Easy, popular introduction · Warm-day aquatic fun
- Best for
- A beginner-friendly aquatic intro
- Features
- Classic LA intro canyon · Pools, slides & jumps · Short & accessible · Great on hot days
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Very popular — crowds & jump-related injuries · Flash-flood risk after rain · Check pool depth before any jump — never dive · Slippery rock; cold water early season
- Beginner friendly
- Yes
Canyoneering detail
- Character
- waterfalls · swims · jumps · rappels
- Water
- pools
- Commitment
- 2
- Descent notes
- The friendly introduction to LA canyoneering — a short, aquatic romp in Big Santa Anita Canyon with pools, optional cliff jumps, natural slides, and a small waterfall rappel, hugely popular on warm days
- Stats note
- ~1 short rappel + optional jumps/slides; easy approach; half-day
- Wetsuit
- No
- Intl tip
- The classic gentle intro to LA canyoneering — a short, aquatic romp in Big Santa Anita Canyon below Chantry Flat (Arcadia), popular on warm days. An easy hike leads to a waterfall, deep pools, natural slides, optional cliff jumps, and one short rappel for a taste of the technical side. Crowds and jumps cause frequent injuries — always check pool depth, never dive, mind slippery rock, and never go with rain (flash-flood risk). Water is cold early season. Verify Chantry Flat road access, and go with someone experienced.
- Directions note
- Park at Chantry Flat (Adventure Pass required; lot fills early on weekends)
The guide
Hermit Falls, in Big Santa Anita Canyon below Chantry Flat above Arcadia, is the classic gentle introduction to Los Angeles can…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Hermit Falls (Big Santa Anita) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.196, -118.02