Tenaja Falls

Riverside County, California

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: Not recorded
Location: Riverside County, California
Access status: Official trail documented; check road alerts
The walk: About 1.5 miles return
Ground & access: Old road and trail with modest climbing. Creek ford may need rock hopping at high water. Steep drop-offs at the top of the falls. Poison ivy reported near the creek.

Cleveland National Forest: Tenaja Falls Trail

Tenaja Falls, CA
Photo credit
Photo: Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From the trailhead kiosk, follow Tenaja Falls Trail 5W04 past the self-registration station, go straight at the junction with San Mateo Canyon Trail, and cross San Mateo Creek on a concrete ford. The trail climbs a sage hillside with views of the falls across the canyon and ends beside the top of the falls. Return the same way.

Plan your visit

Tenaja Falls Trailhead on Forest Road 7S01 to the top of Tenaja Falls

Hikespeak gives 1.5 miles round trip with 275 feet of elevation change, reaching the brink of the falls 3/4 mile from the start. The Forest Service describes a half-hour hike. Not measured here.

Old road and trail with modest climbing. Creek ford may need rock hopping at high water. Steep drop-offs at the top of the falls. Poison ivy reported near the creek.

Where to start

Trailhead parking on Forest Road 7S01. The Forest Service directions follow Clinton Keith Road and Tenaja Road from I-15, then Rancho California Road (7S01) for 5 miles to the trailhead.

Timing & water

Best in spring after rain. Current road status not verified; the Forest Service alert list includes truck trail and road closures.

Before you go

Forest Service lists the fee as none. Day users sign in at the trailhead; permits are required only for overnight stays.

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.

Open location map