Dripping History

Hike to Dripping Cave in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

Dripping Cave Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

{NOTE MARCH 30, 2022: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is currently closed due to wet and muddy conditions from rain, which is common practice at the park. The park may re-open as soon as Friday, April 1. Before going, check their website to ensure it's open again.}

Historical hideout, hidden hollow, rustlers’ retreat. Whatever you want to call Dripping Cave in Laguna Nigel, it is truly a cool, compelling cavern. To reach the grandiose grotto, take a 5-mile (round-trip) out-and-back hike in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, a 4,500-acre public sanctuary in Orange County.

Park at the visitor center and explore the brief native-flora loop as you stretch your legs before heading west on the Aliso Creek Trail. The paved path is open to bikers as well (our wheeled friends can ride almost all the way to the cave) as it gradually descends into the canyon along the creek bed, surrounded by rolling hills and interpretive signs.

Hiker under Dripping Cave at Alison and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

Look out for mule deer who bound among the sage, and blooming purple artichoke plants rising from the meadows. Note that there is very little shade for the first 1.5 miles, so start early or bring protection. The junction for Wood Canyon Trail comes at a portable toilet and picnic area among towering gnarly oaks, a common sight for the remainder of the trek.

Dripping Cave Hike Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

Turn right and continue north until you reach a junction notating Cave Rock on your left. Take this for a brief detour to your first accessible cave, a sandstone cavity along the hillside. Head back to the trail and continue north until the next junction—the path to Dripping Cave and the spot to leave your bikes if you brought them.

Dripping Cave at Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

Legend has it that 19th-century livestock thieves used this natural chamber as a hideout. You’ll see remnants of holes in the sandstone roof used for pegs to hold supplies. It’s easy to conjure images of the cave’s onetime nefarious dwellers. Today, the geological sanctuary is a perfect way to steal away from the sun and city life. When it’s time to return to the present, head back to Wood Canyon Trail, stopping at the short boardwalk over the babbling stream before trekking the 2.5 miles back to the visitor center and parking lot.

To get to the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park visitor center and parking lot, take the I-5 to the Alicia Pkwy. exit heading west. After nearly 4 miles, turn right onto Awma Rd., following signs for the park. Street parking (free) lines the road, and the lot (fee) and trailhead are just ahead on your left. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Golden Gate's Blue Heron

    Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

    View
  2. Sponsored

    Chase Fall Colors & Family Fun in Reno Tahoe

    Ready to Reno? We’re so with you! Reno Tahoe is the ultimate urban basecamp for gathering family and friends for all kinds of fall fun and festivities.

    View
  3. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  4. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    View
  3. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View