Perfect hike for a hot day…read more I love waterfall hikes and listening to the sound of calm, running water. The added challenge on these hikes is the multiple stream crossings. I brought some hiking poles which helped with balance and probing for loose rocks and logs. If you want to get parking in the lower lot, it's best to come before 8AM. We found parking in the second lot. An Adventure Pass or Day Pass is required. Parking is enforced. A car received a ticket for being in a No Parking zone. The start of the trail is nicely shaded. The second half is a hilly, narrow, sun exposed path which routes back into the canyon toward the Lower Switzer Falls. I'm glad they had fencing on some narrow and steep parts of the trail. We encountered an active rattlesnake which headed down the mountain, so be on the lookout. Overall, the hike takes about 3 hours for 5.5 miles. The additional hike back up to the parking lot was about 1/4 of a mile. Note: if you need to use the restroom, it's best to bring your own toilet paper and to go before you start your hike. It was kind of smelly, but if you gotta go... you gotta go.

This place is great for fully appreciating nature! The trail is around 5-5.5 miles round trip,…read moredepending on where you park. What impressed me most about this trail is that it's almost fully covered by shade. We went in the late afternoon, and I'd say probably 80-85% of it is covered. Very impressive! Here are some useful tips: 1. There are three parking lots: two are next to the highway, and one is near the hiking entrance. I'd recommend getting a parking pass if possible. 2. There are only three restrooms at the beginning of the trail, so use them when you see them. 3. If you're aiming to go to the waterfall, make sure to look for the signs. Some signs aren't very clear, so we had to stop and ask other hikers frequently. Luckily, people there are super friendly and happy to help. Just pay attention to your surroundings. 4. The trail is dog-friendly, but dogs must be on a leash. 5. Waterproof hiking boots are recommended. All in all, it's a fun trail. It's a great place for a picnic and camping, and it's very close to the stream. Great for kids, families, and pets!

This park is very high uphill so if you want to go to a park that's pretty much in the mountains…read morethis is it, just be aware there are bears and you may encounter one.

Worst park ever I was a guest there and we had to leave early because somehow we were bothering…read moresome people and because we were taking pictures of an engagement

Quiet, easy hiking trail for the whole family. Baby stroller access may be a little tricky the…read morefirst 10-15 minutes. But after that it's smooth sailing. A very pleasant and peaceful walk. You may notice some freeway noise in some parts. HOW TO GET THERE: Set your GPS/Navigation to "Descanso Garden". You're going to park inside Descanso Garden anyways. Its free and its a 3 minute walk from the Trailhead. Do Not use the Yelp app's "Get Directions" on your smartphone. It'll take you to someone's house. I wish Yelp would correct this. PARKING: Don't tell anyone I told you this but I always park at Descanso Garden Parking Lot. It's free. I park my car right at the entrance to Descanso Garden so that I'm close to the entrance. There's always a gazillion empty parking spaces here. As soon as you park your car, walk back to the entrance (towards the main road, Descanso Drive) and then turn left onto the dirt sidewalk. You'll walk for a minute and find the 3 little yellow steel posts that other Yelpers described. That's your landmark for the entrance to the Trail. TRAILHEAD ACCESS: The trail begins about a 3 minute walk from the Descanso Garden parking lot. So when you exit the Descanso Garden parking lot, immediately turn left. Walk on the dirt sidewalk for less than a minute and on the left hand side you'll see 3 yellow steel posts (you know the kind that prevents people from driving over it). Walk through these 3 yellow posts and you'll find yourself walking on asphalt flanked by 8 feet tall brown colored fencing. You'll ask yourself "Am I at the right place?". Trust me, you are. Follow the signs and suddenly you'll find yourself at the trailhead. DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy. I went to Descanso Trail with my in-laws today. They're both in their mid-70's (very healthy) and they had no problems. The most difficult part of this trail comes about 5 minutes into the walk. You'll find yourself staring at an uphill climb consisting of several switchbacks. There's lots of loose rocks that someone can slip on. Especially small children and elderly. Climbing up is not bad. Even for my mid-70's in-laws they had no trouble. Did it without resting. Coming down these switch-backs is a little more challenging but definitely do-able for the healthy elderly. A walking/hiking stick will help. The rest of the hike is smooth sailing. Slight uphill and downhill walking here and there. Nothing challenging. The trail is made of compacted dirt, mainly about 5 feet to 10 feet wide. If you're a good hiker, if you've hiked Half Dome then this Descanso Trail hike will be a 'walk in the park'! BABY STROLLER: For about 99% of this trail, a stroller will have no problems whatsoever. However, within 5 minutes of starting this hike (read my "Difficulty Level" section above) you will find yourself at the bottom of an upward climb through some switchbacks. I think some healthy parent with a capable stroller probably could push the buggy uphill. But I believe for most parents, this will pose a challenge. You're better off holding the baby in your arms and having someone else carry the stroller uphill. Luckily, this uphill walk will take less than 5 minutes. After this, the rest of the trail is easy sailing for a stroller. Mainly compacted dirt. Keep in mind there are some gently upward and downward hills you need to navigate. CELLPHONE RECEPTION: I had 3 to 5 bars on my Verizon iPhone the whole time on the trail. No problems with reception at all.

Hiking is a passion of mine which I truly enjoy. This is a trail that allows the flexibility of…read morebeginner to advanced workouts. For starters if you are into running, jogging or bike rides this trail is perfect. I enjoy the running aspect as I love a great workout. If you enjoy some chill time or a read this is a great spot as well. From enjoying a great sunrise or sunset this is a great spot.

My second time doing the stairs here is how I found them…read more Number of stairs- 9 Sycamore Glen to Redwood Dr.-this staircase is not in Fleming's Secret Stairs book, Walk #1, though they could have easily been part of the route. 60 steps Elmwood Dr. to Redwood Dr. 98 steps Redwood Dr. to Tamarac Dr. 81 steps up then 19 steps down Tamarac Dr. to Glenullen Dr. 86 steps Glenullen Dr. to Cherry Dr. 99 steps Cheviotdale Pl. to Capinero Dr. 44 steps La Loma to Cheviotdale Pl. 54 steps Cheviotdale Pl. to Cherry Dr. 43 steps La Loma to Evergreen-this staircase... Hope it helps It's around two miles.

I decided to give the Secret Stairs a visit after a tip from Yelp! There is just something charming…read moreabout a neighborhood network of stairs. The stairs serves well as an easy hike or an exercise spot for those who love stair climbing. One thing I did not expect is that the stairs go up and down. Rather than take you higher and higher, some of the stairs just takes you across hills which for me is disappointing. Also, I did not find the houses along the trail particularly scenic. They are probably nice for Pasadena but definitely a far cry from what you see in nearby Arcadia, San Marino, La Canada, etc. Overall, I consider the Secret Stairs a local attraction. It's a worth a visit if you live less than 20 minutes away and its a fun neighborhood novelty but it's definitely not worth your time if you don't live in the area. Parking: I parked on the street on Elmwood which is the beginning of the trail, but I don't highly recommend it. It's not a particularly well maintained street and it is super narrow and steep without proper curbs/sidewalks. There is also a sign that says 'Tow Away on Red Flag Days'. Refer to the affixes picture. If I returned, I would either park on the street prior to Elmwood or just skip to a different segment.

You can park for free on the street which has many trees for shade. The hike entrance is to the…read moreright of the Descanso Gardens. If it's a hot day I recommend bringing some water and a hat. It's a two mile journey up to the top at Cerro Negro. We started our hike late around noon and it was hot with few people along the route.

Cherry Canyon Park felt peaceful, scenic, and refreshing when I visited with someone, and I saw a…read morelot of teenagers hiking and taking photos of the views. The atmosphere felt open and natural, which teenagers would love because it gives them a break from busy city life and lets them enjoy nature. The service isn't traditional here, but the clear signs and well‑maintained trails make the experience feel easy and safe. The value is amazing because everything is free, and you get hours of outdoor enjoyment without spending anything. The quality of the trails and lookout points was impressive, and everything felt clean and cared for. The selection of paths gives teenagers a chance to choose between easy walks or more challenging hikes. I only visited once, but it was one of the most peaceful and scenic outdoor places I've been to in a long time, and I would highly recommend that teenagers go there because it gives them a chance to explore nature and enjoy beautiful views.

Hiking is a passion and love affair with me. I love the outdoors and enjoying nature. This is a…read morespot that allows peace of mind and a true enjoyment of the natural area. The joys of walking, running as well as biking can be enjoyed at this spot. Bring your dogs as well and show them the outdoors as they will enjoy it.

Easy hike. Beginner trail. Parking in the street. Started 6am no one on trail. No shade, go early…read moreif you don't like hikes in the sun.

Such a unique and beautiful hike!!!! We even got to see some very hard snow that was almost gone,…read moredue to the rain and winds. I would highly recommend that at least 50% of the group have the trail downloaded, and you carry extra phone chargers. A few people who were with us almost got lost. It is very easy to do so if you are not paying attention. There is also one portion that becomes very steep. Take your time and bring a stick or poles if you need to. Other than that, the views are breathtaking, so enjoy! I would 1000% do this trail again, but only in a larger group with more experienced hikers. Hoping they are able to locate Monica Reza!! Please, please, please, do not leave anyone behind on their own. This is not an easy trail to guide yourself. There was a lovely man we met on the trail who hikes this consistently, and he cautioned us against losing people.

I bagged a peak this summer!! And the Waterman Mountain loop trail has become my number one fave…read morelocal trail here in SoCal. Getting up to Waterman peak isn't terribly technical - more of a straightforward moderate hike on well marked trails with tons of biodiversity and beautiful views. I hiked it towards the end of June and there were beautiful native SoCal blooms scattered along the trail - with so many native bees! The hike is through a burn scar (from the Peak Fire in 2021 I think) - so it can be a bit barren and burned up in places but it's heartening to see how well the area is recovering. I also ran into countless Pygmy Nuthatches (a lifer for me!!), White-headed Woodpeckers, squirrels, chipmunks, and even some cute tiny spiders! But this is Black Bear and Mountain Lion country so be vigilant and carry bear spray. All in all, I hiked around 6.4 miles with around 1380+ feet elevation gain. The trails are narrow in a lot of spots and mostly consists of rocks, loose dirt, and fine gravel. The first half of the trail is through forest and burn scar. The last half after the peak and old ski resort (long closed) is very exposed fire road with no shade and minimal views. On subsequent hikes I tend to skip that part and just turn around after the peak bc I like that part of the trail better lol. The peak of Waterman Mtn sits at 8030 feet. There's a great sign at the peak made by @peakart125 (on instagram) - it's lovely and makes for a fun way to celebrate making it all the way up! There's a sort of false peak right before the actual peak so I highly recommend making sure you've downloaded the trail map on AllTrails before heading out since cell signal is minimal to nonexistent on the trail. The views from the peak are a tad obstructed by rocks and trees - but you still get nice pocket views of Twin Peaks, the valley, and Mt Wilson observatory. It's also interesting to explore the old ski resort near the peak. There's tons of equipment and a chair lift but it doesn't look like it's been opened for years probably. AllTrails also shows a bathroom up there but I didn't find one so come prepared. There's a bathroom next to the paved parking area in a campground entrance at the trailhead. There's plenty of parking - almost all paved. You'll need an adventure pass to park bc it's in the Angeles National Forest - but they accept America the Beautiful passes too! I pretty much had the trail to myself on the weekday early morning. I only ran into two people - turned out it was search and rescue looking for missing hiker Monica Reza who went missing the weekend before my hike (I think she was last seen June 22nd, 2025). I helped a bit in the search on my way out but no luck. My understanding is she's still missing (I included a photo - they're still looking for volunteers to help search if you're interested!) - be aware and keep a lookout if you do the trail! They also have Instagram and FB pages for updates.