Three Sisters - Hiking San Diego County

Three Sisters Waterfall is one of many remote backcountry destinations in San Diego that has become increasingly popular thanks to the publicity of social media. With three successive, cascading waterfalls and pools of cool, flowing water to swim in, Three Sisters is indeed an alluring destination. But the trail to the falls has long been a bit sketchy and until recently involved a very steep descent down a heavily eroded hillside, often requiring the use of ropes. Fortunately the US Forest Service has recently cut a new section of trail that takes a much easier and more environmentally friendly route to the falls.

Even with the new trail, some caution is still warranted. Three Sisters has always been one of those hikes that’s infamous for the number of rescues that regularly occur there. This is largely due to inexperienced “hikers” who decide to do this with insufficient preparation and planning. Since this is an “inverted” hike, where the first half involves 1000+ feet of descent into a canyon, the hard part is getting back out when you are already tired from hiking and playing the water. Another significant contributing factor is that this area can get extremely hot during the summer – temperatures can easily exceed 100 degrees in the valley. In fact, the Forest Service has recently begun closing the trail during extreme heat advisories (check with the Palomar Ranger District at [760] 788-0250 for the current status). The terrain can also cause problems for unwary hikers – the trail is narrow and rocky in spots, and the granite slabs surrounding the falls can be extremely slippery. It’s very easy to twist an ankle or worse.

So, if you’re going to tackle this hike make sure you’re prepared with plenty of water and snacks, good hiking shoes, and some basic common sense. This isn’t a hike for beginners. Check the forecast and pick another day if its going to be very hot out. I recommend getting there in the early morning to avoid the crowds and heat.

We managed to get an early start and made the arduous drive down Boulder Creek Road to the trailhead. The last time we had been here, there was only a tiny dirt turnout, and most visitors were parked along the road. Now the road was liberally posted with “No Parking” signs and the parking lot had been greatly expanded. Another welcome addition were the two Port-a-Potties, always a welcome sight after a long, bumpy drive.

From the parking lot we headed west past a large metal gate and along the dirt road.

We were surrounded by chaparral, mainly chamise.

To the north, we could see Sunshine Mountain rising in the distance. To the southwest was Cuyamaca Peak.

We topped a small rise, adorned by a small stand of oak trees.

Then, it was a brief but rocky descent.

At .55 miles we came to a junction marked by a wooden post. Directions were haphazardly scrawled in magic marker, and we turned left for Three Sisters (continuing straight leads to Eagle Peak).

From here the trail descended steeply towards the gorge below.

We descended steadily until approximately .9 miles, where the trail crossed a dry creek bed. It was shady and cool here, but there was a lot of poison oak to watch out for.

The trail followed the course of the creek bed for a ways, which meant thick vegetation. We were happy to enjoy the shade it provided.

We emerged from the thick riparian growth to find blooming ceanothus.

As we left the creek bed and the trail turned south, we caught some views of the falls in the distance.

The trail continued along the hillside, with some fantastic views of the gorge below.

Around 1.35 miles we came to the start of the new section of trail that continued to the left. On the right, we could see the steep, eroded slope of the old “trail” heading almost straight down the hill. Eventually, the old trail will be restored and vegetation will be reestablished. We stayed left along the new trail.

Some spring flowers added a bit of color to the hillside.

We had some nice views toward the west looking down the course of Boulder Creek below.

The trail began to gradually descend towards the creek and the vegetation increased.

The final approach to the falls involved getting over and around some rocky areas, but it was nothing crazy.

Finally, at a little under 2 miles we reached a large slab of granite adjacent to the middle of the Three Sisters.

We plopped down on the rocks and got straight to relaxing by the falls.

While relaxing on the rocks, I noticed as I looked back towards the trail we had come in on that you could see the wide, eroded scar on the hillside that was the old trail. Not only is the new trail safer for humans, but it is much more sustainable and less damaging to the local habitat.

We took our time enjoying the relaxing sounds of flowing water and wading in the shallow pool before eventually retracing our route back to the car.

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Directions:
From I-8 East, take the CA-79 exit. Follow 79 North for approximately 1.3 miles, then turn left onto Riverside Drive. At .9 miles Riverside Drive turns into Viejas Blvd and you will see a market/gas station on the left. Turn left here onto Viejas Grade Rd, then make an immediate right onto Oak Grove Dr. Follow Oak Grove Dr for 1.6 miles and turn right onto Boulder Creek Rd. Continue on Boulder Creek Road for 13 miles until you reach a hairpin turn where you will find the large dirt parking area and trail head on the left. map

A note on road conditions: Boulder Creek Road is a beautiful and exciting mountain road. It is only paved for the first five miles or so, but the dirt portion is in very good condition. While the ride is a bit bumpy, you’ll be fine in a passenger car – just drive carefully.

Total Distance:	3.9 miles
Difficulty:	Moderate
Total Ascent:	1035 feet
Dog Friendly?:	Leashed dogs are allowed, however dogs are NOT recommended due to temperature and terrain.
Bike Friendly?:	Bikes allowed but not recommended
Facilities:	Port-a-potties at trailhead; no water
Fees/Permits:	None