Barbara and I are always hopeful as we head out for waterfall hikes during a drought, wondering if we will actually see water-falling. Today we lucked out. So did the tons of other hikers with their kids and dogs, but the Eaton Falls in Eaton Canyon, the "gem" of the San Gabriels is just a perfect hike—an L.A. classic. This short version of several approaches to the Falls starts at Pinecrest Drive north of the Altadena exit from the 210E. AllTrails spots the hike at 1.9 miles, but be prepared to add another 0.01 or 0.02 mi. to the total: there's no parking on Pinecrest close to the entrance. Eaton Canyon is nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriels and its mountain drainage flows into the Rio Hondo then Los Angeles River. The canyon was named for Judge Benjamin Eaton, Fair Oaks ranch owner who bought the property in 1865—after the Civil War but before the founding of Pasadena. The judge was the first to use irrigation from the canyon creek, piping in water to grow grapes on the slopes. When naturalist John Muir visited the falls in 1877, he called it a "charming little thing," and it is. Hugged by towering boulders, the water drops fifty-feet into a round mirror pool then flows downstream into a river bed. Not so much today. The falls were active and lovely, but the riverbed—our path—was mostly dry, making the hike a balancing act over stones, boulders, and along dirt trails. Awesome, nonetheless. We found the entrance to the trail on Pinecrest and hiked north, immediately spotting the bridge that marks the river that would be our guide. As always, water is the biggest story in LA. The first wooden bridge built over the river in 1910 lasted until heavy rains destroyed it in 1938. The concrete bridge we crossed today was built after a flood in 1969. After crossing the bridge, we looped south to find the trail that would lead us north under the bridge. From there, the trail simply follows the riverbed to the falls, about a half-ish mile away. If you go on a weekday morning, I'm sure this hike would be tremendously pretty and serene. On a Sunday morning it's still tremendously pretty and tricky enough for a challenge, but expect tons of fellow hikers, all nice, all heading to party at the falls. If you're looking for a waterfall hike, don't be daunted by the crowds. This hike is a joy.