Big Falls Hiking Guide
Big Falls drops in tiers down a steep side canyon above the community of Forest Falls, and is generally regarded as the tallest year-round waterfall in Southern California. Reaching the official viewpoint is under a mile round trip from the parking area at the end of the road. This is also, without exaggeration, one of the most dangerous casual hiking destinations in the region — people have died here trying to get closer than the viewing area allows.
Getting There
Drive Valley of the Falls Drive through the community of Forest Falls to the parking area near the end, past the Falls Recreation Area. An Adventure Pass or equivalent federal pass is required. From the lot the route crosses the wide, rocky Mill Creek wash and climbs briefly to a constructed viewing platform looking up at the falls. The wash crossing is the least obvious part of the route since it is open gravel rather than defined trail — aim for the far side and pick up the path where it enters the trees.
The View and the Boundary
From the viewing deck you look up the side canyon at the cascade dropping through a narrow rock chute. It is a genuinely impressive sight, particularly in late spring when snowmelt from the San Bernardino high country is at full volume. The Forest Service has closed the area above the viewing platform, and that closure is posted, enforced, and completely justified. The rock beyond the deck is polished, wet, and steeply pitched, and it does not offer the holds it appears to offer from below.
Why the Closure Exists
Multiple people have died at Big Falls after scrambling above the viewing area and slipping on wet granite, and others have required technical rescues from ledges they could climb up to but not down from. The combination of smooth water-polished rock, constant moisture, and long vertical drops is exactly the geometry that turns a small slip into a fatal fall. There is no photograph from up there worth this risk, and search and rescue teams in this canyon are put in danger every time someone tries. Stay on the designated side of the signs.
Mill Creek and Debris Flows
The broad rocky wash you cross to reach the falls is not decorative — it is an active debris-flow channel, and the Mill Creek drainage has a serious history of destructive flows during heavy rain and after fires upstream. Do not enter the wash during rainfall or when thunderstorms are building over the high country, even if it is dry where you are standing. Water and debris can arrive from miles above with very little warning. This is a hazard specific to this drainage and worth respecting.
Season and Combining the Trip
Spring into early summer is peak flow as the San Gorgonio snowpack releases, and it is when the falls are most dramatic. The falls run year-round, which is unusual in Southern California, but volume drops noticeably by autumn. The drive up is beautiful and the community of Forest Falls makes a pleasant stop. Because the walk itself is so short, most visitors pair it with a longer hike nearby — Vivian Creek and the wilderness trails leave from the same corridor and require permits.
Hiking tips for Big Falls
- Stay below the viewing platform without exception; the closure above it exists because people have died on that polished wet rock.
- Visit in late spring when San Gorgonio snowmelt has the falls at full volume — it runs year-round but thins considerably by fall.
- Never enter the Mill Creek wash during rain or with thunderstorms building upstream; this drainage produces fast, destructive debris flows.
- Aim across the open gravel wash and pick the path up on the far side — that crossing is the only spot where the route is not obvious.
- Pair the short walk with a longer hike in the same corridor, but note the wilderness trails nearby require permits that Big Falls does not.
Nearby trails to explore
- San Gorgonio Mountain
- South Fork Trail
- San Bernardino Peak
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Big Falls is a five-minute walk to a genuinely world-class waterfall — and a place to bring people who will respect the signs. Use TrailMates to find Inland Empire hikers combining it with a longer day in the Mill Creek corridor. Download the TrailMates app to join a group.