Vivian Creek / Falls Picnic Area (Forest Falls)
Three things to know before the drive. Parking at the Falls Picnic Area on Valley of the Falls Drive needs an Adventure Pass; hiking Vivian Creek into the San Gorgonio Wilderness needs a separate free permit — online only at permits.sgwa.org (released 90 days out, no in-person issuance); and on busy summer weekends the lot closes when full, with the official overflow at Momyer Trailhead — which, unlike this lot, is free to park.
The facts
- Trail served
- Vivian Creek Trail 1E08 → San Gorgonio Peak; Big Falls Trail 1E13 (0.3 mi waterfall walk) from the same lot
- Cost / pass
- Adventure Pass ($5/day, $30/yr) or Interagency pass — not sold on site; SGWA wilderness permit free but required
- Lot size
- Trailhead lot + additional picnic-area spaces; no official space count published
- When it fills
- Summer weekend mornings: hikers report dawn arrivals finding few spots; weekdays far easier
- Overflow option
- Official: Momyer Trailhead (free, no pass), ~3 mi up Valley of the Falls Dr from Hwy 38, then an uphill road walk — no roadside parking anywhere on the drive
- Tow / citation risk
- USFS is explicit: NO parking along Valley of the Falls Drive or the picnic-area entrance; Forest Falls is residential — don't test it
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Road to the lot
- Paved: Hwy 38 to Valley of the Falls Drive; day use sunup–sundown at the picnic area (6,080 ft)
- Busy season
- May–October for San Gorgonio; waterfall crowds peak spring–early summer
Getting there
Falls Picnic Area, Valley of the Falls Drive, Forest Falls, CA 92339
Get directions →Two documents, one dashboard, one phone
The Falls Picnic Area lot is San Gorgonio's front door: Vivian Creek — the shortest route up the tallest peak in Southern California — starts here, and so does the 0.3-mile Big Falls waterfall walk, which means peak-bagger dawn patrol and waterfall tourists compete for the same spaces. An Adventure Pass (or Interagency pass) is required and not sold on site — buy before you drive up.
The wilderness permit is the part that surprises people: every hike into the San Gorgonio Wilderness, day hikes included, needs a free permit, and it's issued online only at permits.sgwa.org — the ranger station does not hand them out in person. Quota permits release 90 days ahead, popular summer weekends genuinely sell out, and rangers check PDFs on the trail. (At least one popular hiking blog claims day hikers don't need one — the Forest Service and SGWA are unambiguous that they do.)
When the lot fills — the official plan B
The Forest Service's own page says it plainly: on busy summer weekends the site closes when parking hits capacity, and there is no parking along Valley of the Falls Drive or at the picnic-area entrance — this is a residential canyon, not an overflow zone. Hiker reports from summer weekends describe dawn arrivals finding only a few spots, so a San Gorgonio summit day means an early start on parking grounds alone.
The sanctioned fallback is Momyer Creek Trailhead, a large lot about three miles up the drive from the Highway 38 turnoff — and here's the quirk worth knowing: Momyer has no parking fee at all, no Adventure Pass needed. The trade is an uphill road walk back to the picnic area (use extreme caution on the road, per the Forest Service) — or start your wilderness trip from Momyer's own trail instead, permit still required.
Conditions caveat
This canyon has a history: a September 2025 debris-flow event closed Highway 38 and blocked Valley of the Falls Drive for a time (fully reopened — Caltrans shows no restrictions as of July 2026), and an annually-renewed closure has applied to the area above the Big Falls viewing platform in recent years. Check the San Bernardino NF alerts page and Caltrans SR-38 conditions before a storm-season trip.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a permit to day-hike Vivian Creek or San Gorgonio?
Yes — a free San Gorgonio Wilderness permit is required for all day hikes and overnights, issued online only at permits.sgwa.org (released 90 days ahead). There is no in-person issuance, and rangers check on the trail.
Where do you park for Big Falls waterfall?
The same Falls Picnic Area lot on Valley of the Falls Drive that Vivian Creek hikers use, with the same Adventure Pass requirement. The Big Falls Trail itself is a short 0.3-mile walk from the lot.
What if the Vivian Creek lot is full?
The site closes when full, and roadside parking on Valley of the Falls Drive is prohibited. The official overflow is Momyer Trailhead, about 3 miles back down the drive — free to park, no Adventure Pass required — followed by an uphill road walk to the picnic area.
Do you need an Adventure Pass at Momyer Trailhead?
No — Momyer has no parking fee, unlike the Falls Picnic Area. You still need the free SGWA wilderness permit to hike into the San Gorgonio Wilderness from there.
Facts on this page last verified July 18, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.