Where the contour lines bunch together in a watercourse, I know something exciting might be happening. Sure enough, Jerry has seen dozens of incredible waterfalls in our mountains from Los Angeles to San Diego, some of them glimpsed only by the most adventurous hikers. Remember when approaching any waterfall to exercise extreme caution. Centuries of water wears rock to glass-like slickness. Even dry rock can send you sliding to a broken bone or worse.
Many falls are dry except during spring.
Now you hike 4.5 miles to spot its high torrent.- P. Jensen 4. When we want a taste of what a good ol' eruption might be like, we stop at Amboy Crater along the original Route 66 route about an hour east of Barstow. Amboy's cinder cone is a dark, pristine reminder of what happens when magma bursts through the desert crust. Broad skirts of lava flow from the base, spreading across the desert sand. The best place to see all this is from the summit, of course.