From the metal pipe gate at the end of Black Star Canyon Road, OC Parks owns the first mile of the surrounding open space, which is part of the 22,500-acre donation from The Irvine Company.

Upon leaving OC Parks, the Black Star Canyon Road easement allows the public to pass through private lands that are collectively owned by the Santiago Retreat Center, including the historic Black Star Coal Mine Company site, Art Tuttle's former residence and Black Star Bill's former residence.

The glorious waterfall is located within the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest. One must leave Black Star Canyon Road at roughly 2.5 miles and follow the creek upstream to the base of the falls.

Above Black Star Falls en route to Beek's Place, the 800-acre Mariposa Reserve, formerly known as Rancho Escondido or Hidden Ranch, is a habitat reserve owned by The Wildlands Conservancy. It features native grassland, mariposa lilies, oak woodland...

A stocky, medium-sized salamander with rough, grainy skin in the terrestrial phase, and no costal grooves. Southern California populations have suffered population declines due to habitat loss and alteration caused by human activity.

A small treefrog with webbing and expanded pads on the toes. Skin is rough and cryptically colored: gray or brown with dark blotches, tending to match the habitat. Usually there is no dark stripe through the eye...

The large female wasp paralyzes tarantulas with her sting, drags the spider back into her burrow and lays an egg on the spider. The larva hatches and carefully consumes the paralyzed spider...

A woody vine or shrub related to cashew, mango and pistachio in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Widely distributed in western North America, especially in shady, moist places. Causes itching and allergic rashes...

The Black Star Canyon Village (California Historical Landmark #217, CA-ORA-132) is frequently cited as possessing significant historical potential. The potential for archaeological research is due in part to the remaining habitation features...

Much of Black Star's haunted reputation stems from "the story of a battle between American trappers and Indian horse thieves" and "the killing of James Gregg" published in a chapter of Shadows of Old Saddleback (1931) by Terry Stephenson. However, it is difficult to determine the accuracy of either story. Digital newspaper collections do offer additional information related to James Gregg's death in 1899.

Frank "Pancho" Carpenter homesteaded 160 acres in Black Star Canyon. He built an adobe and found coal. August Witte, an apiarist, developed the coal mine in 1877 and helped established the Black Star Coal Mine Company. A detailed account can be found in A Grizzly Introduction to the Santa Ana Mountains (1976) by Jim Sleeper.

The 633-acre property located at the top of Black Star Canyon was purchased by Joseph Allan Beek in about 1927. As a hobby, he built cabins and other structures to serve as a family retreat. Ruins of the cabins still exist. He also founded the Balboa Ferry. His son, Allan Beek, hand-typed an account of his family's history with the property.

Join our Trail Ranger Interpretive Program (T.R.I.P.) and help us prevent vandalism. Meet and greet trail users. Remove litter and graffiti. Educate visitors about the wild, scenic and biological diverse ecosystem.

From the mouth of Black Star Canyon, it is roughly 3 miles to the falls and 7.3 miles to Beek's Place. Request a public or private guided walk to learn more about the plants, wildlife, geology and cultural history.