Kitchen Creek Falls Hike, Pine Valley, CA

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After completing the 3 Sisters Falls Hike in Julian a couple weeks ago, I have been on a mission to take the kids hiking as regularly as possible. Especially right now when the weather has been overcast and cool, and the water in the mountains has been flowing. I knew Kitchen Creek Falls would be a great trail to try next, and I was right.

The hike to Kitchen Creek Falls is a pretty easy hike overall. My friend and I took three 7-year-olds and they did great on the trail. It’s about 5 miles roundtrip and you only gain 750 feet or so, so it’s a relatively flat hike for the most part. Although, the last part when you’re hiking down to the falls is very steep.

For another great San Diego waterfall hike, be sure to check out Cedar Creek Falls as well.

Something to note before setting out: there is not a lot of shade on this trail. While it is relatively flat, you are in direct sunlight for most of the hike, so plan accordingly and make sure you bring plenty of water. Check out my other hiking gear recommendations as well.

Getting To The Kitchen Creek Falls Trailhead

The trailhead for the Kitchen Creek Falls is just off Interstate 8 at Buckman Springs Road. From the Buckman Springs exit you go west on Buckman Springs and then immediately turn left to go south on Old Hwy 80. About two miles down Old Hwy 80, you’ll find an unmarked parking area on the right.

When we visited, there were cars parked there, but still lots of open spots. We were there around 10am on a Friday. The trailhead is right across the street from this parking area. There was no need for an Adventure Pass or other parking permit when we did this hike in May of 2023. But you can always check the current requirements here.

The Trail

The trail marker at the trailhead is for the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). You take the PCT most of the way to the Kitchen Creek falls, veering off of it just before you reach the falls. Shortly after the start of this hike, we saw a handwritten sign pointing to Canada and saying “You’ve got this!” The kids loved learning that this trail goes all the way to Canada, and of course they were asking if we could hike that far. We did see a few backpackers setting out for the long haul.

Shortly into the hike, you’ll go through this gate. It’s unclear what it is for, but this is most definitely the trail, so no need to be concerned as to whether you are trespassing on private property or not.

Just past the 2-mile mark, you’ll get to the point where the trail breaks off. It’s immediately past a PCT trail marker. The PCT turns right, but you’ll see a narrow trail to the left. That’s the trail you will continue on to get to the Kitchen Creek falls. Even though the falls had tons of water when we visited, we really couldn’t hear them until we were just above them. You will see the falls down below, but this is where we were uncertain exactly how to get down to them.

Accessing the Falls

The trail leading down to the falls is a little less trekked, and it’s very steep. It also has a lot of lose dirt, making it slippery and hard to get good fitting. We made our way down to the upper part of the falls, but we weren’t sure we were in the “right spot”. There was nobody around, and while there were areas the kids could play, it wasn’t exactly what we were expecting.

We climbed back up and found a different steep trail that led to the lower section of the Kitchen Creek falls. This area was perfect. We still had the entire place to ourselves, but there were large, flat areas we could lay out and enjoy our lunch on. The kids had a blast splashing in the water. The rocks down there are very slick, so if your group wants to do the same, just use caution, especially on the wet rocks.

After enjoying the water and doing some exploring around the falls, we decided to head back up the way we came. We passed a couple more hikers on our way out, but overall it was obvious that this trail is a lot less crowded than some of the other hiking spots in San Diego.

Final Notes About the Kitchen Creek Falls Hike

When we finished this hike, we had logged just over 5 miles in total. All Trails had this listed as 4.6 miles roundtrip, so maybe without going down to the falls (in two different spots), that would be pretty accurate. Dogs are welcome on this trail (on a leash), but just be cautious heading down to the falls with your pet since it’s so steep.

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