The hook
The tallest waterfall in the Santa Monica Mountains hides at the end of a Malibu canyon, reached on a walk that starts by passing some truly absurd mansions.
01Why it's worth it
Escondido Falls drops in two tiers, the upper one a hundred and fifty feet, which makes it the tallest in the range, tucked into a fern-and-oak canyon a few minutes off Pacific Coast Highway. The hike to it is an easy one, a paved first mile past extravagant Malibu estates, then a shaded canyon trail that crosses the creek to the base of the fifty-foot lower falls, a broad mossy cascade into a green grotto. Worth knowing before you go: the public trail ends at the lower tier. The dramatic upper falls sit on private land and are closed to the public, and people are asked not to scramble up, both to protect the fragile rock and because the climb has hurt people. The lower falls after a good rain are reward enough.
02How to experience it
The trailhead is on Winding Way off Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, about six hours from the Bay, with a paid lot. It's a 3.5-mile round trip to the lower falls, gentle enough for most. Go in winter or early spring after rain, since the falls dry to a trickle the rest of the year. Stop at the lower tier; the upper is off-limits.