Young Hutchison stood near the base of the flowing waterfall, surrounded by exotic palm trees and lush landscape, and took in a moment of serenity.
“It looks like Hawaii or something,” Hutchison, of San Clemente, said Wednesday afternoon, March 3, just as the day’s storm appeared to pass on. “Although it is a little polluted.”
The Dana Point waterfall is created by urban runoff from nearby streets. While it may be nothing more than gutter water, it’s a stunning sight to see and one that drew a slew of spectators through the morning as the height of the storm hit.
Some were willing to get wet to get up close while others watched and took photos from their cars.
The water comes down from around homes and businesses in the city’s Lantern District, draining through a concrete pipe that crosses Pacific Coast Highway and Del Prado and discharges over the cliff near Baby Beach and into the harbor.
The heavier and more sustained the rainfall, the bigger the waterfall.
Social media has made famous the hidden waterfall, which only shows up during the rain and stops shortly after. Anytime it flows, locals in the know post photos and videos, adding to the buzz.
“If you never came here when it was raining, you’d never know it would happen,” Hutchison said.
Chassidy Ritter decided to load up her son, 4-year-old Kai, on Wednesday to get his first glimpse of a waterfall.
“I was just hoping it would be on,” the San Clemente resident said.
It was beautiful, she said, even if just street runoff.
“We kind of ignored that part,” she said with a chuckle. “He wanted in the pool and I was like ‘noooo.’”
Adding to the specialness was the fact that she’s been cooped up inside during the pandemic.
“I felt like I was in Hawaii for a few minutes,” she said. “We don’t need to go on vacation right now, just enjoy what we have here in our back yard.”
