Ortega Falls is a 25-foot waterfall on San Juan Creek in Riverside County, California, just off State Route 74 in the Cleveland National Forest.
The falls
The falls consist of a main drop with a lower cascade and pools. The current listed height is 25 feet, marked unconfirmed; a 1995 news report described the flow reaching nearly 35 feet after heavy winter rain.
Getting there
The U.S. Forest Service's Trabuco Ranger District, part of the Cleveland National Forest, manages the site beside State Route 74. An informal trail runs about a third of a mile round trip with roughly 50 feet of elevation change. The former day-use fee designation here was removed in 2013. As of late September 2026, Caltrans was running one-way night traffic control on State Route 74 through September 26 as part of a lane-widening project, with periodic full closures possible, and a separate forest order closing part of the area after the Airport Fire had expired on May 23, 2026.
When to go
Heavy winter rain produces the strongest flow, and the creek commonly dries up by summer and fall.
On site
The approach is short but steep and rocky, and dogs are allowed on it. Whether swimming is authorized is not documented.
Nearby
Tenaja Falls is about 5.2 miles away, Holy Jim Falls about 6.9 miles, and Falls Canyon Falls about 7.1 miles.
Distances are straight-line.