Kirsten Anderberg's URBAN ADVENTURES: Bouquet Canyon Waterfall

Bouquet Canyon public waterfall in early August, 2008 (Photo: K. Anderberg, Aug 2008)

Many people do not realize the hidden natural treasures that lie within Los Angeles County. If you travel a little north of the San Fernando Valley, into the Santa Clarita Valley, you will find a waterfall and small swimming hole that offers a cool retreat anytime of the year.

DIRECTIONS: Take I-5 North from Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley, and get off at the Valencia Blvd. exit (you can only go one way on Valencia, you'll be going to your right on Valencia), then take Valencia Blvd. to Bouquet Canyon Rd. Take a left up Bouquet Canyon Road, and then head up into the canyon. You will enter the Angeles National Forest shortly.

You will notice amazing rocks with caves and uplifted/tilted rock that screams out geologic history. Eventually, a few miles before you get to the no man's land of the Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, you will see large oak trees along an audible waterfall/stream, and a small brown sign on the left side of the road that says "The Falls." That is it. There is a place to pull over and park, and then the falls are about 20 feet in front of you! You can hear it when you get out of your car. I see people riding bikes and jogging through this canyon often as well.

The falls pour through several smaller pools and paths, and there is a good amount of cool air coming out of the areas where the water is moving. I was there in early August 2008, and it was in the high 90's outside, very hot and dry, yet the waterfall was running strong, and I was cooled down immediately by not only the water, but also by the air cooled by the water and the shade of all the surrounding trees, especially oak trees.

Poison Oak with its red/yellow leaves, in August, at Bouquet Canyon Waterfall (Photo: K. Anderberg, August 2008)

CAUTION! THERE IS A LOT OF POISON OAK ON THE ROAD SIDE OF THE FALLS ALONG THE PATHS...BE CAREFUL TO AVOID CONTACT WITH POISON OAK! It is not hard to avoid it as long as you are aware of it. When I scaled the rocks towards the first main fall, I saw lots of poison oak and just avoided it. On the path going down into the lower pools, I also found myself avoiding touching poison oak that was growing to my left as I moved downstream. I did not get any poison oak on me and it is not hard to avoid, just be conscious.

These are the dry, hot hills that are behind and around the falls. I went at about 9 AM in the morning, and it was still blazing hot. There are visible caves in the hills above the falls and many unofficial hiking trails adjoining the waterfall area as well...the waterfall ends up flowing away between two rocks, leaving it to one's imagination where it goes from there...

I highly recommend this journey for a short and easy trip to nature within the Los Angeles County area. The Falls are about a 20 minute drive from anywhere in the Santa Clarita Valley, and about an hour, at most, from the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles...

PLEASE DO NOT SMOKE HERE, as the HILLS ARE VERY VERY VERY DRY and the fire danger is REAL! The entire area is under a smoking ban, it is very illegal to smoke or use any type of fire in this canyon. Also DO NOT LEAVE YOUR TRASH! There are trash cans right next to The Falls sign. Use them! There was some trash there when I went, some beer bottles, and I took them out for recycling with me so the next visitor did not have to see other's trash. So please, do not trash this beautiful piece of nature!!

Some other info: The water is never very deep in the pools or streams, but the rocks are slippery. If you have water shoes, or waterproof sandles, you may want to bring them. The water in the pools and falls is from the Bouquet Canyon Reservoir above. This waterfall is out in nature, there are no rangers, etc. present. When I went there, no one was there at all!