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 Reporter |
Summary: This may be Orange County's most popular family hike despite the washboarded road leading to it. Nature was profaned here by the swear words flooding from the mouth of "Cussin' Jim" Smith or "Holy Jim" as he was renamed by tightlaced government surveyors who mapped the canyon in the early 1900s. Another bit of history marks the place: the last wild California Grizzly -- an old bear named "the honey thief" -- was killed at the mouth of Trabuco Canyon after robbing beehives here in 1907. Heavy winter rains are essential to a pleasant journey. Along the way, you will see many small cascades and cross the stream several times before you reach the split where the main trail ascends to the Main Divide Road to the left and the trail to the waterfall shoots off to the right. Watch for poison oak as you scramble over the last quarter of a mile to the twenty foot falls. This may not sound like much, but I assure you: Holy Jim Falls is a chapel in the brush. Trailhead: The road journey is half the adventure. The road to the falls parking lot has potholes that eat trail bikes and washboarding that will make you sing like a jaw harp. Please go no faster than 20 mph: flying rocks from your tires can seriously harm others. From Interstate 5, get off at El Toro Road. Head north on El Toro to the point where the road forks at Cook's Corner. Take the right fork (Live Oak Canyon Road) past O'Neill Park. A quarter mile past Trabuco School, you will pass over Trabuco Creek. Turn left onto the dirt road. Some people park here and hike in: this adds 4.45 miles and 840 feet to your hike. Most continue on the road for another 4.45 miles and park in the Holy Jim lot. Though washboarded in parts, the road is usually passable for most passenger cars. The trail ascends the canyon on the left side of the parking lot. Trail guides are available from the Traubo Ranger District or at the trailhead. (Lat:33.677 Lon:-117.5162) Trail Guides for Holy Jim Falls, Cleveland NF: Afoot & Afield in Orange County by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Easy Hiking in Southern California by Ann Marie Brown (Foghorn Press) The Definitive Guide to the Waterfalls of Southern & Central California by Chris Shaffer (Shafdog Publications) Best Seasons: Spring, Winter, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Trabuco Ranger District, Cleveland NF (951) 736-1811 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Joel Sax, who has posted 51 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Page 1 of 10 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by CP on 7/5/2008 Just got back from Holy Jim Falls today. My honda accord made it all the way to the parking lot. We almost abandoned the car half way there but there was a lady in a sebring on her way back who said she made it by going slowly, plus we were at least 2 more miles from the trail. So with careful and skillful navigation we made it just fine! It was a bit warm but there was plenty of shade. Will probably hike it again but maybe wait for winter or early spring.
Reviewed by ryan on 6/22/2008 my odyssey minivan got a nice dent on the front bumper from the road driving in. i kept getting weird looks from the 4 wheel drive vehicles on the road and now i know well. the hike itself is a lot of fun and my entire group enjoyed it. i wonder where the water is coming from, i didn't think there'll be water in june. anyway, do not go unless u got a 4 wheel drive vehicle with good clearance 
Reviewed by Eric on 6/16/2008 I just came back from Holy Jim Trail and it was a pleasant hike. I would hike it again BUT not anytime soon. The reason why I say that is because the "washboard road" is not very Toyota Camry friendly! :) My Camry was able to make it but I also damaged the front end of my car due to the large rocks and there are parts of the road where I had to drive at a crawls pace before I bottom out. (The bottoming out portion is what damaged my car.) In regards of the trail, it was nice this time of the year, a bit dry but that was expected and a great workout. I am a new hiker and the wife and i enjoyed our time on the trail. We just didnt enjoy getting to the trailhead. But if you have an elevated vehicle... then by all means go for it.
Reviewed by Chuck on 4/28/2008 Definately Excellent light hike! Heed the reports about poison oak, although Wife and I managed to stay clean. As of last year, they no longer sell day passes at the trailhead. I called the Ranger station who said the closest place to purchase was at Cook's Corner General Store, which is 'FALSE'. After driving 25 minutes back out the washboard road, we found the General Store right around the corner before the school with day passes and year round passes. Other than that, a beautiful and green hike in an arid land.
Reviewed by David/Tustin on 4/8/2008 I agree with the reviewer who wrote that getting there is half the fun. Drove an old Volvo but would recommend a truck or vehicle with more ground clearance than most cars have. During the week this trail is not crowded. Even though this hike is rated as easy there are some tricky spots, so you may get wet feet. Lots of colorful wildflowers and outstanding scenery. The local cabins add to the rustic charm of this wonderful area. The local drivers drive faster than we did, but we found them all courteous and pleasant as we let them pass us by while we tried to stay clear of rocks.
Reviewed by JW on 4/7/2008 I agree with other reviewers that this is a nice simple in/out hike with a pleasant destination. If you hike it on a weekend, be prepared to find small groups of people hanging around the falls and playing in the water. Also, the drive in is long and the road is far more rough than just "washboarded." Bring lunch to give your aching sit-bones a rest. I second the "rowdy locals" comment. We parked about a mile from the trail head, and ran into a car of drunk, self-professed volunteer firefighters on the way in (11 a.m.). I can't imagine volunteer fire fighters drunk-driving on a forest service road at 11 in the morning, but there it is... Otherwise, nice walk. 
Reviewed by PW on 4/6/2008 Very nice trail, unfortunately we parked about 3 miles from the trailhead on the washboarded road since we did not know how far the road led. The view was beautiful, we went on the Main Divide trail instead of the waterfall, it had a great view of the canyon. The only negative (which I didn't count against the score) was our encounter with some unpleasant, rowdy "locals" who were hassling us on our way back to the car at dusk.
Reviewed by Ed & Marybeth on 3/29/2008 Hiked this trail twice easy hike for the beginner & not the most fit like me . In the beginning of the hike you will pass a number of small rustic cottages & beyond the path is mostly shaded by trees . The falls & pond below at the end are awesome . Would not recomend driving in unless you have truck or suv with high clearence . I damage a heavy duty tire on my first trip . Very close & scenic drive from the orange county metro area . Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Orange County Hiking, Orange County Trails, Orange County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||