Cedar Creek Falls is a 115-foot horsetail waterfall on Cedar Creek in the Cleveland National Forest, San Diego County, California, dropping into a pool near the San Diego River Gorge east of Ramona. It is reached only on foot with a permit, and the trail has seen a fatal fall, a cliff-jumping ban and summer closures for heat.
The falls
Cedar Creek falls in one horsetail drop into a pool. Lidar data puts the drop at about 115 feet; earlier surveys listed 90 feet, and a visitor-management report describes it as 80 feet. The name is unofficial. Like other falls in these chaparral foothills, it runs mainly after winter rains.
Getting there
A Visitor Use Permit from Recreation.gov is required for everyone entering the Cedar Creek Falls area. It costs $6 per reservation and covers the holder plus up to four people; every person must be listed and carry government photo ID. Permits for the next year are released on December 1. There is no cell signal on site, so download the permit in advance. In September 2026 an additional $4 per person daily fee was proposed.
The trail starts from either the San Diego River Gorge or the Saddleback trailhead. The permit page describes a challenging six-mile out-and-back, with about 1,800 feet of descent to the falls, all of it regained on the way out.
The Cleveland National Forest closed Cedar Creek Falls and the San Diego River Gorge in August 2026 after 11 heat-related rescues and 18 public assists between July 1 and August 4; check current closure notices before booking.
When to go
Fall, winter and spring are the recommended seasons; summer is discouraged, when hikers face the steepest climb in the hottest part of the day. Flow is best after rain in late winter and early spring; by summer the pool can turn stagnant.
On site
All cliffs above and around the falls are closed to climbing, jumping and diving, and violations can bring a fine of up to $5,000 or six months in jail. On July 6, 2011, a 16-year-old fell to his death from the steep banks and struck another teenager in the pool. Alcohol and campfires are banned. Carry at least one gallon of water per person and avoid the hike above 90°F. Dogs are advised against because many have died of heat stroke here.
History and name
After the 2011 death the trails were closed. That September, San Diego County supervisors banned weekend and holiday visitor parking on six streets in San Diego Country Estates, where Ramona residents said crowds headed for the falls had overrun their neighborhood.
Nearby
Mildred Falls is about 1.8 miles away, Devils Jumpoff Falls about 2.3 miles and Three Sisters Falls, on Boulder Creek, about 2.7 miles.
Distances are straight-line.