Trip · 3-day backpacking trip
For · Friends and intermediate backpackers
Vibe · Moderate and fun
Distance · 22 miles and 4,610 feet of elevation gain
Permits · Yes! Reserve a $6 permit to hike Cedar Creek Falls, buy an Adventure Pass for parking, an online campfire permit, and apply for a free dispersed camping permit from Descanso Ranger District.
Drive · 1.5 hours from San Diego and 2.5 hours from LA
Ideal dates · November to April (before it gets too hot!)
Pets · Welcome on trails and campgrounds!
Cleveland National Forest (CNF) is a 460,000-acre haven for 22 endangered species and wildlife. It has four wilderness areas: Agua Tibia, Pine Creek, Hauser, and San Mateo Canyon Wilderness, and includes a section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Laguna Mountain Recreation Area, Sunrise Scenic Byway, and Palomar Mountain and Observatory are just a few highlights. More than anything, it's another stunning and serene place to listen to your heart and sleep underneath the stars.
Official National Forest Website
Official Cedar Creek Falls Trail Information
Official Dispersed Camping Information
Main image credit: Hotels.com
You can camp for free in CNF's backcountry, but there are a few rules:
The trek from Cedar Creek Falls to Three Sisters Falls is an out-and-back trail. It's 10.5 miles one-way with 2,305 feet of elevation gain, but you can customize the hike however you'd like. We suggest spending the first night around the 6-mile mark, and then camping the second night near Three Sisters Falls, but that would require hiking 10.5 miles back on the third day. Be weary that water levels can be low or totally dry during the summer months so plan a winter or spring visit, and fill up your water bottles whenever you have a chance.
CNF was created in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt and named after former president Grover Cleveland.
For millennia, only desert and coastal tribes, like the Kumeyaay, Luiseños, Cahuilla and Cupeño, knew about the lands within CNF.
CNF is the southern-most national forest in California
