Ortega Falls

Riverside County, California

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: 35 ft (10.6 m)
Location: Riverside County, California
Access status: Short published path from a highway turnout
The walk: About 0.33 mile return
Ground & access: Short dirt and rock path with 50 feet of elevation change. Rock near the falls can be slippery.

Ortega Falls, CA
Photo credit
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park at the unmarked turnout on the north side of Ortega Highway. Take the path down toward the ravine, but do not drop all the way to the creek; go uphill along the lip of the canyon on the dirt and rock trail to the rock amphitheater at the base of the 35-foot falls, less than a quarter mile from the start. Return the same way.

Plan your visit

Unmarked turnout on Ortega Highway (Route 74), Cleveland National Forest, short path to Ortega Falls

Hikespeak gives about a third of a mile round trip with 50 feet of elevation change. Source figure.

Short dirt and rock path with 50 feet of elevation change. Rock near the falls can be slippery.

Where to start

Unmarked turnout on the north side of Route 74, 1.5 miles north of Ortega Oaks Candy Store and two miles south of El Cariso Visitor Center. Highway traffic is fast.

Timing & water

Seasonal. Flows in spring after rain; typically dry in summer and fall.

Before you go

Hikespeak says no permit is needed and parking is free; it states an Adventure Pass is no longer required here.

Visitor information

Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore California

Waterfall location

Riverside County, California.

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