Trail Stats
Mileage	3.0
Trailhead	980'
Bridge	1250'
Falls	1350'
Total loss/gain	400'
Gain/loss per mi.	266'

On a hot August day in 1877, John Muir set out from Pasadena for an expedition into the San Gabriels. He writes: "On the first day of my excursion I went only as far as the mouth of Eaton Canyon, because the heat was oppressive, and a pair of new shoes were chafing my feet to such an extent that walking began to be painful. While looking for a camping ground among the boulder beds of the canyon, I came upon a strange, dark man of doubtful parentage. He kindly invited me to camp with him, and led me to his little hut. All my conjectures as to his nationality failed, and no wonder, since his father was Irish and mother Spanish, a mixture not often met even in California. He happened to be out of candles, so we sat in the dark while he gave me a sketch of his life, which was exceedingly picturesque."

The next morning, Muir recounts, "Half an hour's easy rambling up the canyon brought me to the foot of "The Fall," famous throughout the valley settlements as the finest yet discovered in the range. It is a charming little thing, with a voice sweet as a songbird's, leaping some thirty-five or forty feet into a round, mirror pool. The cliff back of it and on both sides is completely covered with thick, furry mosses, and the white fall shines against the green like a silver instrument in a velvet case."

Today, 129 years later, Eaton Canyon Falls still holds great appeal, save the graffiti. This destination is exceedingly popular, although, on a cool Wednesday morning in February, I was able to enjoy the whole scamper from the bridge to the falls and back to the bridge all by myself—quite a contrast from the crowds I had previously experienced.

The hike described below starts at the Eaton Canyon Nature Area, follows the canyon trail 1.1 miles to the Mt. Wilson Toll Road bridge, then scrambles up streambed 0.4 mile to the falls. The grade is gentle, climbing only about 400 feet in a mile and a half. There are shorter routes (see alternate routes below), but this one offers a splendid saunter along Eaton's wide, boulder-strewn wash, and avoids a steep climb out of the canyon. This is a good family hike, but little ones may need some assistance in the last half-mile scramble, with many creek crossings and some climbing over rocks. And be vigilant in avoiding poison oak.

The Eaton Canyon watershed is large enough to usually provide a year-around water flow over the falls, however, the showiest time would be in the winter and spring after some good rains. You will want to avoid it immediately after a big storm unless you are prepared for potentially dangerous stream crossings.

Season: November - June

Some authors (Schad, McKinney) rate the hike as all year. But I agree with Ann Marie Brown. The hike is mostly in open sun with lots of reflective rock. Midday in the summer can be most uncomfortable, unless you go early in the morning or early evening.

Getting to the Trailhead:

On the I-210 Foothill Freeway driving through Pasadena, eastbound, exit at Sierra Madre Boulevard/Altadena Drive. Turn left (north) at the first light (Altadena Drive). From the I-210 westbound, exit at San Gabriel Boulevard/San Marino. Turn right (north) at the second light (Altadena Drive). Follow Altadena Drive about 1.5 miles to New York Drive. Continue up Altadena a half block and turn right into the entrance to Eaton Canyon Nature Area Park. Follow the drive around to the parking area. For the hike, you'll want to park at the farthest end of the lot, however you may want to first visit the Nature Center, open 9:00 to 5:00 daily.

Trail Description:

From the parking area, follow the wood-chip covered path heading up canyon. In a few minutes, veer to the right and follow the path across the wide creek bed to the other bank. Turn left and continue on the wide path as it travels along the terrace above the wash. Enjoy a few patches shade provided by oaks and sycamores. At a half mile, you pass the junction for Walnut Canyon horse trial (an alternate route for accessing the Mt. Wilson Toll Road). In few minutes you'll see the results of the record storms of Fall 2004 through the winter, where the torrents eroded deeply into the east bank, altering the trail route. In a few more minutes you pass along the base of the huge slide that forced the closure of the old toll road above. In a couple more minutes you reach a junction with a sign, "Eaton Canyon Falls, 1/2 mi." Veer left (the right fork takes you up to the bridge). Pass under the bridge (Schad and Brown indicated to climb to the bridge top then drop back down, but the best route is to go under the bridge).

April 1, 2000 Eaton Canyon Falls via the Eaton Canyon Nature Center Christa and Dan made this leasurely hike with her Girl Scout troop, three miles round trip.

The bridge starts your half-mile creek scramble. You will immediately pass the concrete remains of an old gaging station. As you continue up canyon, the route crosses the creek many times (I counted 9), tied together by short stretches of rustic trail. The streambed bends and winds through a narrow gorge of shire canyon walls (McKinney notes that early Spanish settlers called the canyon "El Precipio"). Except for a few patches of oaks and alders out of reach of the floodwaters, the canyon is like a desert. Finally, after a creek crossing just before the canyon turns sharp left, you round the bend and are treated to your first glimpse of the falls. Two more crossings and you're there.

Volumes of water tumbling 40 feet create a delightful retreat. Plenty of smooth rocks provide ample seating for a nice picnic (please take all your trash back out with you, including your orange peels). The green wading pool makes for fun splashing around on a warm day. The precipitously steep canyon walls and formidable waterfall cause me wonder how John Muir could have possibly continued up stream.

Return the way you came.

Notes:

• Milage and Elevation: The Eaton Canyon Nature Center sets the distance from the center to the bridge at 1.1 miles, and from the center to the falls at 1.5, thus 3.0 round trip. McKinney and Brown agree. Schad's mileage estimate is 3.4 round trip. I don't know why the difference, except perhaps the half mile of creek walking is indeed longer than traditionally accepted, due to the numerous creek crossings. For the elevations, I use Schad's numbers, although he put the trailhead at 980' whereas the Center puts it at 960'.

• History: Eaton Canyon was named after Judge Benjamin Eaton, who built the first Fair Oaks Ranch House in 1865 not far from Eaton Creek. Judge Eaton was the first to use irrigation from the creek to grow grapes on the slopes. He was also instrumental in the development of the Mount Wilson Toll Road in 1891, and proposed a tramway to Mount Wilson, which later was built to Mount Lowe instead. Source: Eaton Canyon Nature Area website. Visit their website to read more history.

• Alternate routes: Besides the 3-mile hike described above, there are two shorter options for hiking to Eaton Canyon Falls:
  
  Toll Road/Pinecrest (1.4 miles r.t.).
  Driving directions: From Eaton Canyon Park, turn right unto Altadena Drive and drive about 1 mile and turn right unto Crescent. Go about 200 yards to Pinecrest, turn right and go about 200 yards to the Mt. Wilson Toll Road, on your right. Parking on the weekends is restricted, so mind the signs. You may need to park a few blocks away. There is a large fence and gate which is locked at 8:30 p.m. Note: The gate to this route is currently closed due to the large landslide on the toll road (caused by the torrential rains of January 2005). Check with the forest service for more info.
  Hiking directions: Pass through the gate and down the road about 0.2 mile. Cross the bridge and veer right. You can use the steep path immediately on the right to descend directly from the end of bridge to the canyon-bottom trail, or you can continue on the road briefly to find a couple other routes that are more gentle. Once at the canyon-bottom trail, proceed up canyon under the bridge, following the directions from the main hike description above.
  
  Midway trail (2.2 miles r.t.). I have not seen any name given to this trail, either on maps or in hike descriptions. The Eaton Canyon Nature Area shows it on their printed map but makes no mention of it on their hike description. Schad mentions it in his write-up.
  Driving directions: From the Eaton Canyon Park, turn right unto Altadena Drive and drive about 0.5 mile to where Roosevelt Avenue and Midwick Drive intersect on the left. The trail begins at the pedestrian gate on the right.
  Hiking directions: Pass through the gate and follow the trail as it drops to the canyon bottom. Cross the creek bed to intersect the main trail on the east bank (0.2 mile). Turn left (north) and walk the path to the bridge (0.4 mile). Before reaching the bridge, at a signed fork, veer left to stay on the canyon trail to pass under the bridge, following the directions from the main hike description above.

Hike Log Eaton Canyon Falls 2-15-06 10:54 A: Trailhead (980') 11:05 B: Walnut Cyn Junction 11:18 C: Bridge 11:42/12:00 D: Eaton Falls (1350') 12:22/12:29 C: Bridge 12:43 B: Walnut Cyn Junction 12:57 A: Trailhead (980') Summary: 48 Minutes up 50 minutes down View Full Topo Map (356 K)

Related links on Dan's Hiking Pages:

• Henninger Flats - via Mt. Wilson Toll Road in Eaton Canyon
• Waterfalls - in the San Gabriels

Links:

• Adventure Hikes and Canvoneering in the San Gabriels by Christopher E. Brennen. "Hike D5. Lower Eaton Canyon." Presents thorough information on a cross-country hike dropping into the canyon from the north ridge above Henninger Flats. This route requires significant technical skills and equipment. Provides topo map and photos.

• John Muir Writings Steep Trails, Chapter 11, The San Gabriel Mountains - Read the complete account of Muir's excursion into the San Gabriels.

• Eaton Canyon Nature Center - Eaton Canyon Park has a beautiful nature center and trails which serve as a primary venue for honing my plant identification skills. The 7,600 square-foot building contains many fascinating displays, live animals, offices, classrooms, an auditorium, restrooms, and an information desk/gift shop. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m daily. Their website provides a brief description and aeral photograph of trails in Eaton Canyon. Excellent online catalog of native plants of the San Gabriels. Driving directions and map to Eaton Canyon Nature Center. They put the height of the falls at 50 feet, contrary to all of the credible authors who put it at 35 to 40.

Books:

• Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles County - by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press: Berkley, Second Edition, Sept. 2000). Area A-6, Trip 6: "Eaton Canyon Falls." Brief trail description. Puts the round trip at 3.4 miles and the falls height at 35 feet. See Jerry's Roam-O-Rama write-up at sdreader.com.

• Los Angeles County: A Day Hiker's Guide - by John McKinney (The Trailmaster, 2006). "Eaton Canyon." Historical background and trail description. Puts the round trip at 3.0 miles. Previously published in Wild L.A.: A Day Hiker's Guide (2003), now out of print.

• California Waterfalls (Foghorn Press, 1997) - by Ann Marie Brown. A guide to 200 waterfalls in California. She writes up 14 waterfalls in the San Gabriels and gives Eaton Canyon Falls a rating of 7 (6=good, 7=great, 8=excellent, 9=spetacular 10="Top 20 in California")—Would 9 or 10 if it weren't for the graffiti. Trail description. Puts the round trip at 3.0 miles and the falls height at 40 feet.

Last Hiked: February 15, 2006