Hike to El Tepalo Falls

The Sierra de San Juan Cosalá on the north shore of Lake Chapala is lined with trails and regulars who go hiking.

One of the most popular hikes for Ajijitecos is the short jaunt to El Tepalo, which is a moderate hike along the bottom of a creek bed. It’s waterless in the dry season and turns into a series of waterfalls during the rainy season (June to September).

The best time to go is two or three days after a heavy rain when the recent water still flows through the creek, which crosses the hiking path several times. If it’s been a few days since a good rain, you likely won’t run into any water (or waterfalls) at all. It still makes for a great hike.

The hike continues north past the marker in the map to a couple other waterfalls that exist higher up the mountain.

Check out this video of what it’s like to go hiking at El Tepalo after a recent rainstorm.