Temescal Canyon Falls

There are multiple trail heads for Temescal Canyon falls, with the most popular starting at Temescal Gateway Park (parking fee). If you have walking children, that might be a better trail head to use. The Leacock trailhead offers free parking and is less crowded, but does have more elevation gain in a shorter distance. It connects to the trail to Skull Rock if you wish to extend your hike by another 1.5 miles. This trail guide begins at the Leacock Trailhead for Topanga State Park. Beginning in the neighborhood, you take a small corridor between houses to a set of stairs. This begins your uphill climb to Temescal Ridge. At the first trail intersection, turn left, where you will enter a green brushy area. This was my favorite section of the hike, as I felt like I was in real wilderness rather than suburbia. At the top of the ridge, follow the trail to the left and down to the intersection with the falls trail. Turn right, and follow it down, down, down to the bridge crossing the creek bed. When standing on the bridge looking uphill, you should see the waterfall (or where the waterfall is when there is water). My daughter and I entered the creek bed to play in the fallen leaves (fall color typically happens in winter in Southern CA, except for the mountains). To return, we labored uphill to the ridgeline, then downhill to the trailhead.