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| Blackstar Canyon Falls |
Blackstar Canyon is a secluded canyon located ten miles east
from the heart of Orange. Blackstar has a reputation in Orange County for being
haunted. Every year around Halloween, Blackstar
becomes a popular hiking destination for ghost hunters and local ghost tours. Having recently hiked the canyon myself at
night, I can honestly say that it’s definitely a spooky place. I don’t actually believe in ghosts, but
mountain lions and bobcats are known to inhabit the canyon. If the thought of a
mountain lion pouncing on you from behind doesn’t spook you, I don’t know what
will.
Blackstar Canyon has a hidden waterfall and a cave at the mouth
of the creek. From pictures, the falls
look amazing when they are running, but they were bone-dry both times I
visited. The hike to the waterfall is a little over 6 miles round-trip. The first
two miles of the hike follow a wide dirt road that winds its way into canyon,
crossing several bridges and never veering too far from the creek. The canyon is
filled with willow, acorn, eucalyptus, oak, and a variety of other large trees.
The trail cuts through several areas which are privately owned and fenced off
with electric and barbed wire. You can spot the remnants of a dilapidated squatter’s
camp just off the trail.
At approximately 2
miles in, you will come to a
three- way junction. The main road veers away from the creek to the left and heads further into the mountains. The middle trail, a smaller single track hiking trail, follows the rim of the creek and gradually leads up into the mountains. The right-hand trail descends to the creek bed and leads upstream to the waterfall and the cave.
three- way junction. The main road veers away from the creek to the left and heads further into the mountains. The middle trail, a smaller single track hiking trail, follows the rim of the creek and gradually leads up into the mountains. The right-hand trail descends to the creek bed and leads upstream to the waterfall and the cave.
