Eaton Canyon hikers warned to avoid waterfall

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Los Angeles County Fire Department officials are warning hikers who use Eaton Canyon Park to stay away from the water - specifically a waterfall.

Many hikers are trying to access a waterfall made popular by YouTube clips. The so-called "second waterfall" is located in a remote and dangerous part of the park.

"There is no real access to the waterfall, so people try to improvise by scaling the side of the cliff, and they get themselves committed to the point where they can't get back down," said Assistant Chief Bill Niccum with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Officials say they have made 60 rescues in the Eaton Canyon area in the past year, and 35 of those rescues involved injuries to hikers. Those rescues cost taxpayers millions every year.

Officials have released a public service announcement asking hikers to stay on marked trails.

Even with the warnings, many hikers insist on taking on the waterfall. With that said, why not build a safe trail to the infamous waterfall?

A Forest Service ranger said they don't have the money and given the terrain, there is not a safe way to do it.

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