backOverview
At approximately 90 feet high, Cedar Creek falls is the second highest waterfall in San Diego County. In spring and summer, it is a popular hiking destination for high school and college students. Expect it to be very crowded April through July. What makes this waterfall special is that the water plunges into a huge over 10ft deep water hole. Many people hiking towards the waterfall will be in bathing suits. You will see many people cliff jumping into the water hole from a 10ft high rock surrounding the area. The water is refreshing in the summer and cold in the winter, so it is way less crowded in the winter. There a 2 routes to the waterfall: Eagle Peak Rd and the San Diego Country Estates trail.
Eagle Peak Rd
This is the most Scenic and popular of the two routes. Click here to view this route.
San Diego Country Estates Trail
Distance: 1.9 miles one way, 3.8 miles round trip
-If you live anywhere in or to the west of the city of Ramona, this is your easiest access route.
Elevation Gain/Loss: 920 feet, but will feel like much more
Difficulty: easy, may feel strenuous to certain groups, rated class 1 on the Yosemite Decimal System
Time Required: It takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour to get to the waterfall, and between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours to get back.
Location: the address of the trailhead is: 15544 Thornbush Road, San Diego Country Estates, CA
Route Description: From the trailhead, walk 1.4 miles on the trails into the valley. There will be multiple trails branching in every direction. Dont worry, all the trails eventually lead to the same place. After you reach the very bottom of the valley and cross a river, you should see a trail straight in front of you leading into a canyon pass. Follow the trail for another half mile to reach the waterfall. Please note, that you will be crossing a total of 3-4 rivers on this route depending on season. It is recommended you bring flip flops or some kind of waterproof footwear.
Best Time of Day
between 1 and 2 hours before sunset is the best lighting for photos. Most of the crowds would have dissipated at this time too. In the morning the shadows of nearby mountains will block any sunlight from reaching the area. At noon the lighting is bad. At any time later than one hour before sunset, the sun will dip behind the mountains also shadowing the area. If you are still at the waterfall at this time, keep in mind it will be dark once you are back at the trailhead. Also at this time of day, if you are not interested in photographing the waterfall, walk back along the trail to near the first river you crossed. There should be a grove of oaks there. Face towards the sun shining through the leaves and you are guaranteed to get a satisfying shot.
Best Time of Year
If you want to photograph the waterfall, go anytime between November and July when the water is likely to flow. If you want to photograph the surrounding hills and valleys, the only time you are guaranteed to get good photos(on a sunny day) is between early March and late April. It may vary some years depending on rainfall amounts. In this time of year, the grass covering the mountains and valleys turn pure green. In summer, fall, and winter, the grass dies and the brown dirt from the hills are exposed.
Photos
CCF via San Diego Country Estates photos
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