Love this place, especially during the spring time because the fall is huge n water is clear. Do bring plenty of water when you hike during the summer time. Also you have to purchase a permit from recreation.gov to enter. It close to 6 mile hike in total.

Beautiful hike, amazing waterfall.Definitely a difficult one, make sure you can handle it.Downhill on the way in, uphill on the way back.Hit it early if you want peace and quiet(to avoid chatterboxes!).YOU NEED A PERMIT TO VISIT (6-7 bucks), HEAVY FINES.

First off; dont come without water or Gatorade etc : prepare to feel like theres no end but when you get to the water :) it feels good. Be safe & courteous of others.

Very nice hike. Took us 4 hours, but were still newbies.

Great, medium hike. Went in the morning to escape the afternoon heat yet caught a very very cold swim in the end. Very pristine. Saw a variety of wildlife.

No water in October, but still a wonderful and challenging hike. Friendly rangers along the way to make you feel safe.

Great hike but very difficult in summertime. 6mi out and back total.

Awesome spring time hike. Summer time will be super hot!

Worth the hike cool water ar the end!

Beautiful place to come hiking. Definitely recommend coming early and avoiding the midday heat. It feels like an oven especially on the way back up.

Get a permit go in spring take a dip in the cool water

Start the trail early if possible. We started around 5.15 and were done by 8.15

Swimming halfway through under a waterfall is one of the coolest hiking experiences in San Diego.

Great hike to some beautiful falls. Take lots of water!

Not a well marked trail hard to find and very tight

Pleasant hike down and back.

A true nature lovers outdoor place... No paved tracks or roads, no cell phone signals, rough trails to walk on, a demanding hike that will put the strain on your heart if youre not fit. Bring lots of drinking water and visit before the summer starts. There are no restrooms. Its out there. Bring your camera!

A 6 mile round trip. Make sure you purchase the 6 dollar permit before you go. They allow 75 permits a day with up to 5 people per permit. There is a check in at the trailhead with a person there to assist with paperwork and questions. You start off goin downhill for about 2 miles. You come to the bottom where the water is running. You can hear the water for most of the hike From there is a hub with multiple trail heads to other places. I proceeded on the trail to the falls. It gets pretty rocky at this point. I came around a couple rocks and there was the falls. 80ft. High with plenty of water flowing into a large pool at the base if the falls. I spent some time here alone for about half hour or so. I started the trail at 630 am and there was one group of 2 that were at the falls. When I got there. On the way back up is the challenging part of this hike. I passed about 30 people on their way down to falls so it can get crowded. It is flat for about a mile with plenty shade and then the uphill starts. No shade at this point till the top. Bring plenty water and sunscreen. A drank 2 liters of water and it was only 71 degrees. With the trip to the bottom. Great views on the way down to the falls. Highly recommend just be prepared for hike back up.

Awesome place to swim for a bit after a hike down. You can do some cliff jumping off of the rocks on the left if you are into that, and if you put a speaker in the back right corner you can get some good acoustics. There isnt always water going down the falls though, especially during a drought, still worth the hike though.

Boring hike. Beautiful destination at end of trail.

Really good amount of hike 6 miles round trip

Best waterfall in sd

Quick and easy hike to a pretty waterfall, there wasnt any flow while I was there in early January, but should be flowing now after recent rains.

Love the falls

Ambience is breath taking once you get to devils punch.

Excellent hike to one of the most beautiful places in San Diego.

Great hike and lovely waterfall!

TLDR:I did this hike on a cool, cloudy day after a rainstorm. I think that was a great decision, because the waterfall was flowing, the hike was relatively easy, and I enjoyed it.Full Review:I did this hike on the tail end of a storm. It rained for two consecutive days, and then I hiked on the third day, as the storm was on its way out. The forecast was a high of 55, mostly cloudy and chances of showers. The weather was perfect, IMO.I started from the San Diego River Gorge Trailhead, but it seems there is at least one other way to get to the waterfall.My observations/experience:- Permits are required for this trail. You can monitor how many permits are available online. I bought mine on my phone with no issue (there is good reception at the trailhead). I noticed a sign near the trailhead that mentioned they may close the trail if conditions are dangerous. If sell-out risk is low, I think buying last minute might actually be a good idea because of that.- There was a ranger at the trailhead that checked me in, documenting my permit number, and departure and return times.- From the trailhead to the falls, its about 2.5 miles (5 round trip).- The trail is 90% downhill on the way to the falls, with the last 10% being uphill (but practically flat).- The path itself is hard-packed dirt. Quite smooth, but uneven/sloping.- There is very, very little shade on the hill. A few spots exist where you might be able to find some shade next to large bushes or boulders, but not many.- At the bottom of the hill, its easy to lose the trail. Go through the trees, and cross through the riverbed. (Note: The riverbed was dry, but looks like it isnt always. Might not be possible to cross during/after a large storm.)- To get to the waterfall, you have to cross over a stream twice. There were rocks that allowed me to cross, but if the water were running any stronger, I would probably have had to get my feet wet. Something else to consider if you go after a heavy storm.- The waterfall was gushing from the two prior days of rain, but the water was foamy and dirty. This was our first rain of the season (hadnt rained in months), so perhaps it runs cleaner in the spring? But even when I spoke to the ranger at the end of my hike, I commented on how gross it looked. He replied that its always gross, and mentioned that they (the rangers?) dont recommended that anyone go into the water. He said that wild pigs poop and pee in the river upstream.

Love this hiking spot