Three Sisters Waterfalls

Around Christmas we like to do a really challenging hike a bit further out than our normal "everyday hikes." Last year we tackled Tecate Peak, and much to our surprise this year, we found one even more challenging - but just as rewarding - with the Three Sisters Waterfalls hike. Three Sisters Waterfalls is near the upper part of the San Diego River, so it was quite a drive for us - but by far one of the most fun trips we've had to date.

• Trail: Three Sisters Waterfalls
  
• Location: upper San Diego River, near Descanso off Cedar Creek Road
  
• Length: 2 miles out and 2 miles back
  
• Hike time: 2 hours (we went quickly & didn't spend a lot of time at the falls)
  
• Terrain: be ready to mountain climb as you face extremely steep cliffs for access to the falls. Also, the drive to the trail head is a windy, unpaved & very rough mountain road - 4 wheel drive vehicle recommended!
  
• Path visibility: Dirt path relatively easy to make out on the way down to the falls, less so on the way back
  
• Difficulty: very difficult, but worth it!
  
• Cost: free!
  
• Highlight destination: the waterfalls, though the surrounding mountains weren't bad themselves either
  
• Beware: the steep descents down to the waterfalls are no joke with slippery rocks
  

This was probably one of our most difficult hikes. As you drive up the winding, tight country unpaved mountain road to the trail head remember that for as much as you climb in the vehicle you will descend on foot. (Note, follow these directions to get to the trail head.) The drive to the trail head took about 1.5 hours from southern San Diego. Even so, after all that time you're still in San Diego county which gives you a real appreciation for how big the county is.

Every real hiker review of this hike has talked about how strenuous this trek is - don't take that lightly. We did this hike in late December & from everyone else's experience it seems best to avoid doing this in the spring or later when it is really too hot to safely tackle this hike. In preparing, also plan to get there in enough time to allow you the 2 hours of hiking plus lots of extra time to enjoy the waterfalls all before sunset. This is not the place you want to be caught after dusk. Take plenty of water, some food & a camera.

It could not have been better weather the day we went on the hike. It was about 65 degrees at the coast & a bit warmer inland. There had been record levels of rain the preceding week (so we knew we'd have a great show with the waterfall), but waited enough days after the last rain so we wouldn't be tramping through mud the whole way. Even then, there was still some flooding on the mountain roads.

The information we'd read about the hike said that dogs were allowed, so we took my little 2 lb. dog who likes to jump rocks & climb. There were parts where the small dog had to be carried & frankly I couldn't see how a larger dog could have even of made it - so I would recommend that if you can't scale a nearly vertical cliff while carrying your dog then don't bring it.

There were 3 cars parked at the trail head when we arrived. We met all 3 groups as we made our way down the mountain and they back up. Each had varying pieces of advice for us ranging from "drink lots of water" (and the dog too!) to "use your hands when scaling the cliffs." No one thought the little 2 lb dog would make it, but she did!

The biggest difference on this mountain hike is that it occurs in reverse of what you're normally used to for a mountain. You climb down into the mountain to get to the waterfalls, which means that all the hard work is on your way back after you've been at it for awhile & are likely tired. Budget your energy accordingly.

It was very nice going down, especially seeing all the peaks of the mountain range surround you. There was no shortage of amazing views. About 10 minutes in on the trail you can actually see Three Sisters Waterfalls, albeit from very far away. If you listen closely, you can hear the rushing water as well. The first 30 or so minutes is a steady, winding decline down toward the waterfalls.

The closer you get, the steeper the decline. That is when you really start rock climbing. Be careful of loose rocks & dirt on your way down. At one point, previous hikers actually hung a little rope to make it easier to get down and up.

There aren't strong enough words to describe the fact that these descents, closer to the falls, are just about as vertical as you can get without falling off the side of the mountain.

It only took about 45 minutes until we got to the bottom & could see the waterfalls. Gorgeous! Breathtaking! Worth it all.

The hike back up actually seemed to go quicker than the hike down (that's a first), but it was certainly more difficult to manage to get up those rocks we basically slid down on the first part of the hike. The dog tackled a lot of the moderate parts herself, doing better than the humans at time, but she did get carried for the most vertical parts.

We'll definitely do this hike again - though only in the winter to avoid the horror stories of this hike we've read from others, and giving ourselves more time to explore the waterfalls & climb up to see more of them. Some people have reported even swimming in the pools, which does sound like fun.

Tipped off: Schad's Afoot & Afield San Diego County, also written about on the San Diego Reader site.