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Hiking Trail Bonita Falls
4.6 ★★★★★ 520 Google reviews · Running trail in Lytle Creek, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- 1.5 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Hiking Trail Bonita Falls' own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Hiking trail through a rocky riverbed leads to a waterfall in a canyon.
What runners say about Hiking Trail Bonita Falls
“The trail is quite rocky and can be a bit hard to follow, but the fall was beautiful and so is the small creek along the way.”
“There are plenty of shady areas by the creekside to set up for a picnic.”
Definitely a hike that needs to start early, especially if you want to get a good parking spot. There are plenty of shady areas by the creekside to set up for a picnic. You do need to walk to see the waterfall which is breathtaking. Excellent place to take photos with the waterfall in the background.
With the recent rains, the waterfall is beautiful and powerful. The creek is flowing and glowing in emerald. The trail is a bit rocky, but doable. It’s about 3 miles round trip. A walking stick will be helpful. For the most part, the trail is flat until you start to hike into the canyon to reach the waterfall.
Amazing waterfall. Too much graffiti on the rocks. Really sad. But the hike is relatively short. Once you are across the stream, stay close to the left side of the canyon. The last few steps up you will be ascending a steep incline. Enjoy!
We are camping in Mountain Lakes and wanted to hike. We checked Alltrails and Google Maps and this was the closest. It has been hot during the day so we went around 9 am. Like the reviews stated, the trail especially the entrance is unmarked. We just followed some people and the “graffiti” markings on the rocks.
Trail conditions & character
“Went here with some friends and family for the first time and it was a very cute little hike with nice views and a few water spots to relax and hang out.”
“The trail is quite rocky and can be a bit hard to follow, but the fall was beautiful and so is the small creek along the way.”
“Definitely a hike that needs to start early, especially if you want to get a good parking spot.”
“It gets pretty steep once you get closer, but the trail isn't very long.”
“There are plenty of shady areas by the creekside to set up for a picnic.”
“For the most part, the trail is flat until you start to hike into the canyon to reach the waterfall.”
Plan your run at Hiking Trail Bonita Falls
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- Distance1.5 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
Hours
| Monday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Tuesday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Wednesday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Thursday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Friday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Saturday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Sunday | 7 AM–6 PM |
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