Dripping Cave Trail Hike

Tucked away in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, just minutes from Laguna Beach, the Dripping Cave Trail is one of the most fun and easiest hikes in Orange County. Dripping cave, used by native peoples and later bandits, is huge, open, and fun to explore. The park is rich with natural beauty and wildlife, and on the way to Dripping Cave, we'll visit Cave Rock, another cool rock formation hidden away from the busier trails. This five-mile hike is mostly flat, easy to follow, and family-friendly.

When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

Where is the Dripping Cave Trail?

The Dripping Cave Trail is in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. The park has over 30 miles of trails, and there are many ways to get to the caves, but the route I'll show you here is the most popular and the easiest. Use the official trailhead at:
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, 28373 Alicia Pkwy, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

There are bathrooms at the trailhead and also about half-way to the Dripping Cave.

Gear For the Hike

This is an easy hike that can be done in fitness clothing or light hiking gear. In the summer it can be very hot. I bring 0.5L of water with me.

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Dripping Cave Trail Maps

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park offers well-maintained and well-marked trails. The first part of the hike is on a paved road, but don't let that put you off; it's peaceful and scenic. The rest of the hike is on sandy dirt trails.

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Hike Brief

• Dripping Cave and Cave Rocks were used for thousands of years as shelters by native peoples. Aliso Creek, which you'll hike along, was the border between the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples, and artifacts from the area suggest that trading and seasonal migrations would occur in this area.
• Dripping Cave is also known as Robber's Cave, because it served as a hideout for Juan Flores and his gang in 1856-57. They would rob the stagecoaches between San Diego and Los Angeles and then hide out in the caves. The holes on the ceiling of the cave housed pegs that held their gear.
• The "drip" from the cave only occurs when it rains, which is rare in Southern California.

Dripping Cave Hike Directions

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There's a toilet and picnic benches here.

Once you're done at the Dripping Cave, return the way you came. You can go straight instead of taking the Cave Rock Trail detour, and if you want, take the paved path back once you get to Aliso Creek.

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.

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