San Jacinto River (North Fork)

ADVISORY: The area below rap #2 is the private property of the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District. Representatives from the District confirmed that it is a restricted area and that tresspassers will be fined. AmericanCanyoneers contacted the water district to negotiate a permit system, but it was turned down. This is a neat little canyon located in the South Face of San Jacinto. The final gorge is very beautiful, with features reminiscent of canyons usually found in the High Sierras. This canyon is mellow in low flows, but may be quite challenging and even very dangerous in higher flows. The San Jacinto River is gauged, so make sure you check the flow before you go. The final section of the canyon has several large swimmer pools that may require use of wetsuits except for summer. Plan on picking up some trash to improve the area for the next visitors.

The canyon can be accessed by following the old dirt road up to Fisherman Point shown on the map. Parking along this old road is limited, so it's recommended to park extra vehicles along the highway at the bottom of the mountain. Most highway parking spots have "Emergency Parking Only" signs, with the exception of a fenced road near the bridge over the San Jacinto river and at the beginning of the dirt road up the mountain, both shown on the map. Wherever you park, make sure you don't block incoming/outgoing traffic. After parking extra vehicles at the bottom of the mountain, pile up in one car and drive up the old dirt road. A 4WD is recommended, but the road may be 2WD passable in good conditions. Park at "Parking Short" for a short descent or "Parking Full" for the full descent. No car shuttle is required if using the Short Approach and Climb Up Exit.

Wetsuits are needed only for the final gorge section (R4-R8), which includes several big pool swims. The first section of the descent is open and sunny and requires just strong waterproof windbreakers or neoprene jackets. If you decide to don a wetsuit at the first rappel make sure to open it up or take off the top to avoid overheating during the walk between R2 and R3. Watch out for poison oak along the edge of the river. The Full descent includes two extra waterfalls but also has extra 3/4 mile of stream walk between R2 and R3 that, however, can be reduced to 1/4 mile by taking a saddle shortcut: Saddle shortcut: this route bypasses a large meander of the river, saving 30-45 minutes of uninteresting stream walk. The shortcut is easy and efficient and feels pretty much like "teleporting". It starts when the river sharply turns left after the second rappel, it's easy to miss if you don't pay attention. Follow a game trail trough the bushes and when you reach the top of the saddle look for a use trail going down to the river. The Short descent includes only the final gorge: