North Etiwanda Preserve – Falls Trail

We’ve already written about hiking in the North Etiwanda Preserve in a previous post here, but the extended OP Adventure Team did this hike about two weeks ago with roughly 40 people, so we figured we’d cover it again from a group perspective, as well as provide some additional pictures (scroll down for the gallery).

Directions: To get to the North Etiwanda Preserve, exit Day Creek Blvd off the 210 freeway in Rancho Cucamonga and drive north until the road ends at a T, which will be Etiwanda Avenue. Turn left on Etiwanda Avenue and drive until you reach a gate – park here. The trail picks up directly behind the gate and is easy to follow. There are other trails that lead off to either side, but we just continued straight to the falls. About halfway there we came to an intersection that was a bit unclear, but there was a marker where someone had drawn arrows towards the waterfall, and the trail that goes mostly straight ahead (slightly to the left) is the waterfall trail.

This hike is definitely a popular one, especially on the weekends (our group probably passed about 100 other people throughout the hike), which can be expected since it’s an nice hike located close to the city. At about 4 miles round-trip & 500 ft elevation gain, this hike is perfect for children, dogs, or just anyone who wants to try out hiking. The upside to having many people around is that if you don’t know if you’re going the right way you can ask directions at any time!

Waterfall: Once we reached the waterfall (can’t miss it), there was plenty to explore. Some of us crossed the creek and investigated the other side of the falls & the two streams that fed the falls, while others backtracked to the right of the main waterfall where there was a steep path down the hillside to a ‘lower falls’ (children and dogs not recommended!). Here are some pictures of the upper falls.

The lower falls is a steep trail right before main waterfall that takes you down about 100 feet of elevation in a tenth of a mile. While the top waterfall gives a better view, if you make it down to the base of this area you will get a nice view of the bottom falls as well as you can see below.

Here are a couple pictures of some of our group enjoying the hike.

Summary: Overall this was a nice, not to difficult, pleasant hike. Our group (which included children and dogs) completed it in a little over two hours at a leisurely pace, including hanging out at the waterfall for awhile. Be warned that there isn’t much shade, so make sure you have sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses, but with those supplies your family should enjoy the hike here!

Statistics:

• Difficulty: Easy
• Length: ~4 Miles (Out and back)
• Elevation Gain: ~500 ft

Let us know what you think of this hike in the comments below!

Photo Gallery:

Map:

About Vanessa

Hi, I’m Vanessa and I am a nature and outdoor enthusiast! My bucket list includes ambitions such as swimming with sharks, backpacking Europe, and learning to fly a plane. My happy place is the mountains, but I appreciate landscapes and destinations of every variety. My motto is “Try everything once” and I strive to learn new skills and gain knowledge every day of my life. If there is adventure involved, I will be there!

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