Laguna Mountain Hiking | Laguna Falls

Never heard of Laguna Falls? Neither had we! We stumbled across this Laguna Mountain hiking trail because we were looking for somewhere to camp near Pinnacles National Park. We found a pretty spectacular free place to camp in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area, which we had never known about either! This area is tucked in the Diablo Range between Highway 25 and Coalinga in Central California.

camping in the laguna mountain recreation area

There are two free developed BLM campgrounds in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area. They both that have vault toilets, fire rings, covered picnic tables and were peaceful with a view! To learn more about the awesome free Sweetwater Campground, check out this Laguna Mountain Camping article because we definitely recommend camping here. Not only do we think the campground is great but it is also conveniently located just across the road from the Laguna Falls/Sweetwater Trailhead.

Quick Info: Laguna Mountain Hiking

Directions: As you’re travelling on Highway 25, turn east onto Coalinga Road. From the junction of Highway 25 and Coalinga Road, drive 12 miles and you’ll see the Sweetwater Trailhead on the right and the Sweetwater Campground on the left.

Distance: About 5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Our Experience Hiking to Laguna Falls

Laguna Falls Trailhead, right across the street from the free Sweetwater Campground, has several parking spots as well as a vault toilet. This Laguna Mountain hiking trail picks up right behind the bathroom. One thing to note before you set off on this hike to Laguna Falls is that the flow of the falls and water level is dependent on rainfall and varies throughout the year. If you’re pretty easy going you won’t be let down either way, it’s a nice adventure!

gorgeous oak trees while exploring laguna mountain hiking trail

The Laguna Falls Trail (L3) begins as a single track and climbs up through the blue oaks, chaparral, and poison oak. Already, you can look out over the Diablo Mountains into the distance. Once through this expanse of woods, the trail (L3) joins up with a dirt road which lends a nice break from the crowding poison oak that was a little too close for comfort. The trail continues to climb, allowing for even greater views of this ruggedly beautiful area.

view from the laguna mountain hiking trail to laguna falls

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The more primitive L2 trail branches off to the left from the dirt road. The sign was slightly hidden when we were here and was easy to pass up.

If you make it to a locked gate that looks like this, you’ve gone too far.

private property gate on the hike to laguna falls

Once on the L2 trail it is a bit overgrown but easy to navigate. It continues to subtly climb as you pass an interesting display of plants. And allows for several sneak peeks out over the scenic surroundings in the distance. From here you can see the blue water in the Hernandez Reservoir below.

The Laguna Falls trail reaches a crest and before you know it you’re traversing switchbacks as you descend down into the canyon.

After the switchbacks, a trail branches off to the right where you’ll notice a rope tied to a tree. Not sure if this is the only way to access the falls but we were eager to get our hands on the rope to lower ourselves down the steep canyon wall!

We made it to the Falls!

Immediately after descending on the rope, there it is! There was a tall trickling canyon wall with a deep pool of water. We didn’t expect to see any water as we had just observed the super dry conditions for the entire hike thus far. Needless to say, we were more than satisfied with what we saw on this Laguna Mountain hiking adventure!

The water, coolness in the air, smooth rocks, and the abundance of green plants were a welcome contrast to the hot, dry, and prickly conditions of the rest of the Laguna Falls hike. We stopped and enjoyed a snack on the rock, watching tadpoles and waterbugs swimming around and enjoying the solitude.

From here, we returned the way we came. But for a longer adventure, the trail does continue on where it eventually reaches a BLM primitive campground. Continuing even further, the trail will intersect with Laguna Mountain Trail. You can follow Laguna Mountain Trail southeast to hike to the Laguna Mountain summit. Alternately, head north on Laguna Mountain Trail to reach the free developed Laguna Mountain Campground.

We found this to be a very enjoyable day hike! It felt very wild and uninhabited, like we were the only people in the area. The vegetation was interesting to take a closer look at and was also very festive, setting the tone for autumn being upon us. And of course the proximity of Laguna Falls Trailhead to Sweetwater Campground where we were staying couldn’t have been more convenient.

Thanks for Reading!

We hope you enjoyed this article about our hike to Laguna Falls! Getting to explore areas that are completely new to us, like the Laguna Mountain hiking trails, is one of the most rewarding perks of living on the road full time.

If you’d like to read about some of our other adventures, check out the links below:

To sustain our on the road lifestyle, we work hard creating unique, hand painted longboards! You can check those out at our Lost Coast Longboarding Shop. We also design and screen print our own t-shirts and longsleeve shirts 🙂