The easy waterfall hike hiding in a San Diego suburb: Los Peñasquitos Canyon
A flat 6-mile round trip from Canyonside Community Park in Rancho Peñasquitos leads to a creek cascading through volcanic rock. Parking is free, leashed dogs are welcome, and there's an 1823 adobe at the trailhead.
- Round trip
- ~6.3 mi
- Parking
- Free
- Dogs
- Leashed OK
- Adobe
- 1823
About 190 ft of gain
Canyonside Community Park
Bikes on main trail only
First Mexican land grant in the county
The short version
- Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve covers about 4,000 acres and is jointly owned and run by the City and County of San Diego.
- From Canyonside Community Park the waterfall is about 3 miles in; the round trip is about 6.3 miles with only about 190 feet of gain.
- The creek flows year-round, cascading through volcanic rock at the falls.
- Parking at Canyonside is free, with restrooms and water; leashed dogs are allowed, and bikes are allowed on the main trail.
- The Rancho de los Peñasquitos adobe, built in 1823 on the county's first Mexican land grant, is at the trailhead.
Tucked between Rancho Peñasquitos and Mira Mesa is a 4,000-acre canyon with oak woodland, a year-round creek and, three miles in, a waterfall tumbling through dark volcanic rock. The trail is wide and almost flat, which makes it one of the easiest waterfall hikes in San Diego and a good one for kids on bikes.
Route
Pins are approximate. Sources: City of San Diego, County Parks, Hiking San Diego County and OpenStreetMap, checked October 6, 2026.
See these on the full San Diego map- Distance: about 6.3 miles round trip with roughly 190 feet of gain (Hiking San Diego County).
- Parking: free at Canyonside Community Park, off Black Mountain Road; from I-15 take Mercy Road west.
- Dogs and bikes: leashed dogs are welcome. Bikes are allowed on the main trail but not on the single-track side paths.
- At the falls: the rocks are slick. Keep kids back from the edges.
- Questions about trail status: the park ranger office is at 858-538-8066.
Don't skip the adobe
Near the trailhead stands the Rancho de los Peñasquitos adobe, built in 1823 by Francisco María Ruiz, comandante of the San Diego Presidio, on what the County calls the first Mexican land grant in present-day San Diego County. The grounds are open 8 a.m. to sunset daily; the house museum opens 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Tuesday, with guided tours at 11 a.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
City of San Diego · Checked October 6, 2026
Size, joint City-County management, waterfall, ranger office
- PrimaryRancho Los Peñasquitos
San Diego County Parks and Recreation · Checked October 6, 2026
1823 adobe, history, hours, tours
- BackgroundLos Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve (East)
Hiking San Diego County · Checked October 6, 2026
Distance, gain, trailhead directions, free parking, dogs and bikes