Pauma Creek Trail is a 0.7 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Pauma Valley, California that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.
kid friendly
fishing
hiking
nature trips
walking
forest
river
views
waterfall
wild flowers
wildlife
bugs
over grown
rocky
scramble
off trail
no shade
no dogs
The trail is primarily used for access to Pauma Creek and is best used from October through May as high summer temperatures make passage difficult. This is a primitive use trail that starts near a turnout on Nate Harrison Grade Rd. The trail descends the steep canyon walls above Pauma Creek through heavy chaparral and poison oak. The trail is extremely faint and footing is loose at times.
Mariana A.
It was an amazing experience. Definitely hard going down but fun going up. Recommend it to everyone! The creek it’s amazing once you finally make it to the goal (down).
Not much of a trail - overgrown and chossy. Poison oak growing every 3 feet or so. Road up is dirt and has a lot of potholes.
Very very beautiful hiking. And hard.
Great hike, not easy but, beautiful.
Been going here for years and recently visited in May 2017. Pauma Creek is a hidden gem in the North County, San Diego area and one of the most pristine and undisturbed mountain streams in Southern California.
Don't be fooled by how short this trail is. It is ridiculously steep, exposed to the sun most of the way, covered in poison oak, has loose footing from a 2008 forest fire, and if that isn't enough then there are the ticks, biting flies, and occasional rattlesnake that will gladly attack you along the way.
For those willing to brave the very unforgiving trail, there is a paradise waiting for you at the bottom. Pauma Creek flows year-round and plunges over 4,000ft down the canyon through a series of pools and waterfalls.