Tenaja Truck Trail - Cleveland Natl. (09/27/2025)

TENAJA FALLS — HIKE REPORT

PARK OVERVIEW

Rock formations, scenic views, and peaceful atmosphere along this

TODAY'S CONDITIONS

Cool morning, hot by 10/11 (~mid-80s) → low-60s; excellent visibility; NO trail traffic; Cleveland Parking free (day-use).

HIKE DETAILS

Trail: Tenaja Trail → San Mateo Wilderness → Cleveland Fire Rd
Distance: ~8 mi
Gain: ~1,300 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Dur: 4 hrs

WAYPOINTS

Tenaja Trail → Rock Formations → Tenaja Canyons & Fishermans Camp Trail → Summit → Cleveland Forest Fire Rd descent

NOTABLE MOMENTS

Fishermans Camp was beautiful with a large open recreation area, pop a squat and explore before you head to the next waypoint.

FOR NEXT TIME

Bring more water than you think you need!. Try clockwise paved route if you want to enjoy the scenery on the way back instead of pavement. Sunrise summit start recommended. Pack binoculars, sunscreen, and a good hat!

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The Tenaja Trail wound through the forest in long, patient stretches, each turn revealing a new rhythm of the land, dry brush giving way to groves of oak, quiet streams hiding in the shade, and steep climbs that demanded focus (i fell quite a bit 😅). The trail was not cruel, but it was unrelenting. Without company, left nothing but the sound of my own breath and the steady beat of determination in my chest.

Along the way, I came upon a fallen tree, roots exposed and torn upward, still holding the shape of life even in its collapse. It stopped me in my tracks. The roots were twisted but intact, clinging to earth that no longer held them. It was a reminder that even in moments of being uprooted, there is still strength in what anchors you. The tree had fallen, but its foundation remained honest, unhidden, and quite impossible to ignore.

There are times life rips you from where you thought you belonged, leaving you bare and unsettled. But like that tree, the roots of who you are, your identity, the parts you cannot deny, remain. Even when you feel displaced, they remind you of your strength, of the beauty in standing as you are, even if it means standing differently than before.

The trail pressed on, winding through open ridges and valleys where silence felt louder than any voice. Alone, I carried only water, willpower, and the quiet understanding that no one else could walk this path for me. Each mile burned into my legs, but it also stripped away the noise I didn’t need. The journey was not about speed, not about conquering the trail. In the end it was about endurance, about meeting myself in the raw space where solitude and self-preservation collide.

When I finally reached the end, the forest stretched behind me like a story written in dirt and sweat. The fallen tree stayed with me, not as a symbol of loss, but of resilience. A reminder that discovery is not always about climbing higher or walking farther, but about learning to stand in your own truth, even when the ground shifts beneath you.

— A day on the Tenaja Falls route, notes & memories

Footnotes & quick facts

• The loop included the Fishermans Camp Trail and Tenaja Falls Trail via the Cleveland fire road — ~8 miles, ~1,300 ft gain.
• San Mateo Canyon is home to beautiful wilderness, with hidden waterfalls and springs, such as Tunisia Falls off Bear Canyon Trail.
• Tons of wildlife to look at, so bring a set of bionaculars.