Switzer Falls
Arroyo Seco, Angeles Crest Hwy · near La Cañada Flintridge · Los Angeles / SoCal
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 4.5 miles
- Elevation gain
- 650 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Year-round · Best flow in spring
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No hiking permit; a National Forest Adventure Pass is required at the Switzer Picnic Area (sold at Clear Creek Ranger Station). Weekends fill early.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Shaded Arroyo Seco canyon · Historic Switzer's Camp ruins · Waterfall & swimming holes · Bear Canyon backpacking extension
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Don't try to descend directly to the top of the falls — take the marked trail that climbs the canyon wall and drops to the base downstream. Expect crowds and full parking on weekends.
The guide
One of the front range's classic canyon hikes, descending the Gabrielino Trail along the Arroyo Seco to a picturesque waterfall…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Switzer Falls — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.2662, -118.1457