Camping and Hiking Near Orange County

Upper Hot Spring Canyon Falls
General Area: Ortega Highway Estimated Time : 30 minutes
This is a good begining hiking trail

Stuff to bring

Sun Tan Lotion, hat, hiking boots, compass or GPS, bathing suit, bug spray, lunch, water, and a good atitude.

Getting There

Where Are We Going?

Falcon Trail starts from the Blue Jay Campground in the Los Pinos camp area. Travel to the Los Pinos Camp sites is an easy drive from the I-5 freeway to the Ortega Highway. If you are traveling south, take the Ortega Highway exit and head north. For the intrepid northbound I-5 traveler, exit at the Ortega off-ramp, but a right turn is required to head in a northerly direction to the campgrounds. From the Ortega Highway, expect to have an initial travel time of forty to forty-five minutes to the turn off at Los Pinos. The drive time depends on you and that ponderous semi-tractor and trailer in front of you. Don't worry, the trip is well worth the drive. And the Ortega Highway is a very scenic drive with high rock walls and rolling green hills along the way.

The Turn-out

Take the Los Pinos turn-out to the left (if you hit Lake Elsenore you've gone too far). Follow this road down to the left to the Long Canyon sign and turn right. This road takes you to Blue Jay Campground. (Also, you might notice a nudist camp in the area, but that is a different guided tour). Continue on Long Canyon road to Blue Jay campground. There is a small day-camp fee, and make sure you have a wilderness parking permit which can be bought at any ranger station and some sporting goods stores.

The Campgrounds

When you first enter the campground you will see a map. Walk over to campground number fifty. The beginning of the trail is right next to this campground.

On the Trail

Falcon Trail Head

If you take the paved road through Blue Jay campground and follow it north until it curves east, you will hit the Falcon trailhead to the left. The trailhead has no sign, but it is near campsite #50 and has several short posts to mark the beginning (see photos). It is an easy 20-30 minute walk to the waterfall from the trailhead. Follow this trail to the right as it curves along a wooded gully. You will pass through a high canopy of trees at the trailhead, but this ends and the trail is bathed in rich sunlight. Around the bend to the north/east is another low canopy of oak trees; there you will find a trail that shoots down a steep leaf-covered slope. This is where you want to descend into the shallow ravine.

Descent Into The Ravine

For those with satellite guidance this is way-point 14. Follow this short decline to the north-north/west and you will see the gully below the trailhead and hear the beginnings of rushing stream water to your left. Listen closely, and you can hear the wind funneling through the canyon and the gentle sway of the trees.

The Ravine!

Begin by walking down stream along the trail. The stream snakes along the trail along the way to the waterfall so you may get your toes wet. Watch out for low shrubbery and rocky terrain. Some points along the trail require us to stoop and push tree branches to pass. However, the mild difficulty of this route is out-weighed by the rugged beauty of the landscape. Follow the trail along the stream west to the waterfall.

Intersections

Our trail intersects with two tributary streams which come in from the right. Continue along your original route, but mind those rocks. Natural red rock staircases abound in this area. If you find a large gnarled and very dead tree to your right you are headed in the right direction (see drawings a & b).

The Falls

Many little waterfalls along the stream teased us as we walked to the falls (I like to call them the appetizer before the main course. The falls are at the end of our journey were exquisite for what they were: two pools one above the other, fed by a ten to twelve foot waterfall of icy spring water. The upper fall takes the stream tumbling down ten feet to a three-foot deep crystal clear pool. It is ringed by natural gray rock and high walls however, there is an easy way down to the pool just below the trail end. Below is the second pool fed by another waterfall as wide as the first. Mossy green rock lines the pool which is almost twice the size of its companion, but half as deep. That doesn't mean it is any less cold. My companions and I can attest to that! Be careful of the rocks under the water they are slippery and loose.

Going Home

The trail home is the same one out. There is a slight but steady incline all the way to the initial down-slope into the gully. The climb back to the upper trail is the most difficult part of this little hike but the view of the waterfall makes a little bit of huffing and puffing worth it.