Friday 18th May 2012,

Things To Do Inland Empire


Etiwanda Falls / Sapphire Falls Waterfall Hike – Rancho Cucamonga

If you are looking for a beginner or intermediate level hike with beautiful views, check out the famous Etiwanda Falls or Sapphire Falls waterfalls, both located in Rancho Cucamonga.

Etiwanda Falls

Etiwanda Falls is located in the Etiwanda Preserve, which is easy to find off of the 210, two miles north on Day Creek Blvd. There is plenty of free parking at the bottom of the trail, with a descriptive trail map delineating the myriad possible hikes. The Etiwanda Preserve famously has a waterfall along one of the trails, and many hikers choose this as their point of destination.

Etiwanda Falls 4

Etiwanda Falls

Depending on one’s fitness level, the hike to the waterfall takes about 30-40 minutes. The mostly uphill walk feels great as you know you are getting a terrific lower body workout. All along the trail, there are fantastic hilltop views of the city of Rancho Cucamonga below. The sound of rushing water greets hikers as they get closer to the waterfall nestled behind trees. The scene is idyllic and the sound of nature is incredibly relaxing. Many people choose to rest there for a bit as they take in the beautiful scene before they complete the 3.50 mile round trip hike.

Only a short distance away from any city in the I.E. the Etiwanda Preserve hike makes a great choice for a weekend morning walk or run. Official information can be found at the San Bernardino County website, Everytrail.com, along with personal accounts on Yelp.

Sapphire Falls

Sapphire Falls

Sapphire Falls

If you’re looking for even more water to swim in, Sapphire Falls is another amazing hike. Also located in Rancho Cucamonga, this makes a great day hike alone, with a friend or even with kids. Check out a full article on the hike with plenty of pictures, as well as a text description in the Norco Voice.

Head over to Almond Street and Crestview Place in Rancho Cucamonga for the trailhead. A full map of how to get there is online.

If you’re looking for a really wild hike in Rancho Cucamonga, check out Upper Cucamonga Canyon. For a large list of waterfalls in the Inland Empire, check out Waterfallswest.com.

Also, there are talks of trying to restrict access to these treasures.

Trail Map - Etiwanda Preserve - Sapphire Falls

Trail Map – Etiwanda Preserve – Sapphire Falls

Map Direction

Map / Direction


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About The Author

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I am from Los Angeles and have traveled extensively throughout the world and the United States. Now I work in the not-for-profit sector in the Inland Empire and Palm Desert areas.

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  1. Valentines Day in the Inland Empire January 21, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    [...] the sunset from atop numerous mountains – Mt. Rubidoux (Redlands), Sapphire Falls (Rancho Cucamonga) , Etiwanda Falls (Rancho Cucamonga), Rim of the World Drive on the way to [...]