This past weekend I decided to take advantage of the cooler weather and head out to the 3 Sisters Waterfalls to check out the new trail I had heard all about. At this time of the year you really are not heading out to see the falls in its full glory as you can see from the picture above, I was just going out to update the information on this hike.
The first thing I noticed when rolling up on the trail head was the change in the parking situation. It used to be that everyone parked along the road and sometimes you would see 50-60 cars parked along the tight corner. Now there is a dirt parking lot with Porta-Pottys, what a welcome change.
Parking at the old trail-head for 3 Sisters Waterfalls
The road where you used to park has a lot of no parking signs
The New Parking Lot for the 3 Sisters Waterfall Hike
The rest of the trail is just like it always was until you get to the area that you used to climb down ropes on. That is now sectioned off and the trail now continues along the side of the canyon until you come out at the middle waterfall and pool.
A view of the new trail vs the old trail system.
Another view of the new trail with a view of the old steep trail down the hill as well
3 Sisters Waterfall at the Middle Falls
I know some people will lament the loss of the rope area of this trail, and I will admit that it added a little something to the adventure of coming out to the falls, but I think what was lost was far outweighed by what was gained. Every time I would come out these falls I would see that the trail had further eroded and had become sketchier then the last time I had been there. With all the people who come out to this trail unprepared I can understand the need to soften up the experience a little. My only warning would be to whom ever decides what to do with this trail in its further upkeep. As I was sitting there talking with some hikers about the changes to the trail I could already hear people talking about heading back up the sketchier trail anyways ( I think it would take an exhaustive amount of work to make this section less alluring to those who want to challenge themselves. I’ve also noticed parts of the new trail that are already being cut through with short cuts and people who get a little lost when you get closer to the water fall ( just follow the pink ribbons) I would suggest a more permanent signage for the trail. All in all I think the changes are a welcome addition to this popular trail and I hope people enjoy the experience without ruining it for everyone else.
Check Out the refined trail description below.
Thanks for the info! Does the new trail remain ~4 mi RT? and bypass the poison oak? It’s nice to have a real parking area with ‘facilities’. I’ll want to get out there before it gets too hot, or after it cools down.
The new trail is pretty close to 4 miles round trip, just slightly longer. If you stay to the trail and do not drop down into the creek you should bypass any poison oak. The only other area that I keep an eye open for the poison oak is the first time the trail drops under some trees and gets a little shade, this is by some drainage, and I always find that poison oak thrives where there is a water source, but I did not come across any here. There is not much to see with the water fall, but I would take advantage of these cooler temps while they are around before the summer heat cranks up.