Home › California › Murrieta › Tenaja Falls Trail
Tenaja Falls Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 107 Google reviews · Running trail in Murrieta, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 4.5 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Tenaja Falls Trail's 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.
Beautiful waterfall in a remote woodland area reached by steep, sometimes rocky trails.
What runners say about Tenaja Falls Trail
“The falls was not extremely glorious with rushing water, but it is still a beautiful land feature.”
The drive is great but when you get to the mountain side, it's only big enough for one car...definitely take an suv or truck, as the roads have big holes due to rain damage. The trail to the waterfall is easy...take enough BUG SPRAY because they are aggressive. Take plenty of water...
The trail actually goes way past the waterfall for about 3 miles. However, most people dont go past the waterfall. Definitely recommend exploring that part. The area has a nice small oak grove and a stream that eventually drops into the Tenaja Falls.
Love this little hike, it's also a fun drive to get there! The hike itself to the falls is pretty short as far as hikes go. Maybe around a mile up? You can also find little offshoot trails to explore a little more. I have yet to explore if there is anything farther at the top.
Took an early morning Memorial Day hike to Tenaja this morning. It was absolutely beautiful! I am posting most of the photos from the hike and hopefully the videos post as well. The sounds of the many different birds singing was just incredible.
Trail conditions & character
“The falls was not extremely glorious with rushing water, but it is still a beautiful land feature.”
“There is a consistent elevation game and there is one necessary river crossing, but these should not stop you.”
“Park at the trail head parking lot and start at the trailhead to the right of the bathrooms.”
“The path itself is mostly not difficult to navigate though there are a few areas where you are going to need to be able walk across 100% rocky areas.”
“The road is well paved until the last few miles when you should beware of a few pot holes.”
Plan your run at Tenaja Falls Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance4.5 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- Websitefs.usda.gov
- Phone+1 951-736-1811
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 5:30 am–8:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 5:30 am–8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 5:30 am–8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 5:30 am–8:30 pm |
| Friday | 5:30 am–8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 5:30 am–8:30 pm |
| Sunday | 5:30 am–8:30 pm |
Running trails near Murrieta
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Tenaja Falls
4.6 ★★★★★ 271 reviews
National forest waterfall accessed via a trailhead with spring cascades teeming with birdlife.
