Dampalit Falls — Attraction in Los Baños

Dampalit Falls is a mountain waterfalls hidden in the Brgy. Bambang-Lalakay area, where the topmost 100 feet small mountain is the UPLB Territory.

The boundary of two barangays is separated by a tributary known as Dampalit Creek or River.

To get there, parking is recommended in the DPWH Laguna Region, which is the only parking area for vehicles; however, seek permission from the security guard as parking area inside the DPWH is intended for employees even on weekends.

Nevertheless, vehicles, even motorcycles, may allow entry to DPWH and pass to the other side of the steep paved-road, but expect the off-road rocky and muddy terrain. They have parking area on the local community side (non-DPWH) but almost only the motorcycles can park therein.

There are two roads to pass thru: Brgy. Bambang or Brgy. Lalakbay (roads beside Lalakay Elementary School). Both roads are passable on foot, and it takes 20 minutes approximately to reach the waterfall.

Once you saw the Virgin Mary Grotto beside the Creek, you are directly reaching Dampalit Falls. The small cottage is made of wood and dilapidated.

The water is cold, but brownish.

The flow of water from the top is thin, unlike most waterfalls that are pouring heavy. The thinness of the falling water sometimes becomes a mist though it still flows down the water pool.

The water pool is shallow, with a size of an human ankle.

Though it is a private property, with just P20 entrance fee from the locals as part of tourism livelihood program, you can swim freely in the water near the waterfall.

Be wary, as the rocks and boulders are too slippery near the waterfalls.

When going back to the highway, another detour is the Brgy. Lalakay area.

Note that the only destination is thru DPWH or Lalakay Elementary School, not the UPLB...

I visited here on February 28, 2025. The water was bluish-green, and a lot of people were swimming and taking a bath. I think the water is clean and safe for these activities. There was an entrance fee, but it was minimal. I can’t remember exactly, but I think it was around 30 pesos.

To get here, you need to first get off at Lalakay (if you're riding a jeep coming from Calamba). Then, walk through DPWH and ask the guard where to go for the falls. They will point you to the road leading there. It might take you about 15 minutes to walk from DPWH to the starting/entrance point. The road is paved, so it’s not too hard. Once you get there, you’ll find a community up top. I parked my motorcycle here, and I think the parking fee was 20 pesos. After that, it's just a 5-minute walk to Dampalit Falls.

I only stayed at Dampalit Falls for 5 minutes; my main target was the “pool” that the locals mentioned, which is located upstream. I took a 20-30 minute hike to get there, and along the way, I discovered that there were also a second falls, a third falls (the one they call the “secret falls”), and the fourth falls, which is the “pool” because it has a man-made lagoon/pool. The latter has cottages that guests can rent. I tried drinking spring water there, and it was sweet, minerally, and cold. There was an additional fee for this.

The trail going up to the pool/fourth falls can be easily followed if you have a tour guide. Mine were two kids who volunteered to assist me. They were so adorable (please say hi to them if you...

I've been here last 2023 out of curiosity. It's a very serene place, and there's a lot of people (depending on the day, I guess). There are two ways to get there. One is the place where a DPWH building can be found (this is the easier route). The other one is a narrow path where Lalakay Elementary School can be found (this is the harder way since I went via this route through bicycle).

There's a fee for going there (20 pesos, I think, and the owner of the land is short-tempered). It also takes a short trek to go to the falls itself as well. There's also a small grotto of the Virgin Mary nearby.

All I can say is please be RESPONSIBLE with your trash. The photo I took here...