Forested Falls

A Forest Hike to Cooper Canyon Falls

What could be more soothing than adding the sound of flowing water to your zen experience of forest bathing? The place is Cooper Canyon Falls, deep in the San Gabriels, reachable via a 3-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike on the Burkhart Trail from Buckhorn Campground.

The path immediately descends into the canyon and does so continuously as you hike in. Along the way, you’ll bathe in the classic Angeles “treesome” of Jeffrey pines, Douglas fir, and incense cedars that you might easily mistake for redwoods. As you enjoy the views into the canyon, look for Steller’s jays and gray squirrels tree-hopping. At about the 1.25-mile mark, you’ll cross a flowing stream next to moss-covered cedars, and shortly afterward you’ll pass a trail junction that bends left to Cooper Canyon Campground.

Continue on for a quarter-mile, passing an overhead view of the flowing falls, and take a sharp, steep left turn down to the base of the mini cascade. A handy rope is there to ease your way down. In spring, the falls enjoy a surge from the melting snow and, with plenty of boulders, this spot is a perfect place to settle in and enjoy the calming sounds of rushing water as you bathe in the presence of a lovely forest.

To get to Buckhorn Campground and the Burkhart trailhead, take the CA-2/Angeles Crest Hwy. for 33 miles from La Cañada Flintridge and turn left into either the Buckhorn Day Use lot or the campground. Adventure Pass.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View