Paradise Falls

The rain in Southern CA has been plentiful this winter, which means that the grass is steadily growing; replacing the usual brown hills with lush green fields, the drought has about ended and the waterfalls actually have water flowing! It’s the perfect time to take a hike and start enjoying what nature has created. Paradise Falls in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, CA is a great easy hike with rolling green hills and a beautiful waterfall. The trails are clearly marked which makes for easy navigating. The hike is just short of 3 miles long, but should you want to continue on, there are additional trails and they too are marked! To get here simply enter “Paradise Falls” in your Google Maps or use the AllTrails.com link and hit directions which will automatically open your Google navigation on your phone.

There is a teepee half way to the falls, which is a nice spot to stop and take in the views, have a picnic or snap some photos! I love hikes that have cool surprises!

With all this rain people have caught on that waterfall hikes are amazing, so if you decide to check out this trail on the weekend expect it to be busy. Try going earlier in the am if you want to avoid the congestion. I recommend bringing a change of shoes to switch into post hike if you want to cross to the other side of the waterfall. It wasn’t deep at all when I went, so I just hopped across and dealt with my soggy shoes. It was definitely worth doing as the views and photos were much better on the other side of the stream.

When you head back up veer to the right and keep exploring the top of the falls for some sweet views! You can peer over the fence to check it out. There is a way to go around the fence at the end where the opening is however, I of course do not advise entering as this area is marked off “Do not enter.” The way back up is mostly incline (although not steep) so make sure to pack water to hydrate and be prepared for a little muscle burn!