Bonita Falls is a set of waterfalls in the San Bernardino National Forest

San Bernardino National Forest

San Bernardino National Forest is a federally-managed forest covering more than 800,000 acres . There are two main divisions which are the San Bernardino Mountains on the easternmost of the Transverse Range, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the Peninsular...

, formed by Bonita Creek, that is said to be 370 or 400 feet in height, but possibly up to 495 feet high because of two undocumented drops in the canyon above. It is the second tallest in the national forest, being surpassed only by 500-foot Big Falls. These two waterfalls are reputably the tallest in southern California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

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Characteristics

Bonita Falls is split into three tiers, and in the canyon above are two more waterfalls. These two waterfalls are a 60-foot segmented and a 25-foot cascade. In the lower canyon, near where the creek meets South Fork Lytle Creek, the upper tier is a 195-foot cascade. Following downstream is a 45-foot slide. The final, steepest drop, Lower Bonita Falls, plunges 160 feet into the final reach of Bonita Canyon. The total height of the waterfall is 495 feet considering the upper two drops, and the total height of the actual waterfall is 400 feet not counting the upstream drops.

Seasonality and Access

The falls only appear from January to May, or after a rainfall, so it doesn't receive much attention because of its extremely poor access (no trail and 2 treacherous stream crossings) and small drainage basin

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

. The upper tier can also be viewed from Lytle Creek Road, but much of the roadside access is closed or on private property

Private property

Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...

. It is rare for the falls to last into June.