The three-drop waterfall is reached by a river trip on dugout canoe, known locally as "Shooting the Rapids", originating from the municipality of Pagsanjan.

[1] The boat ride has been an attraction since the Spanish colonial era, with the oldest surviving written account dating to 1894.

One legend says there were no falls long ago, only the foliaged highlands, the Bumbungan and Balanac rivers, and the alluvial delta where the town of Pagsanjan now sits.

Birds, deer, wild hogs, monkeys, and other animals disappeared as did rivers, creeks, and mineral springs.

[9] The most popular way of reaching the falls is through the "Shooting the Rapids" boat ride, which originates from any of the resorts along Bumbungan and Balanac Rivers.

The journey takes passengers through the narrow and verdant Pagsanjan Gorge lined with huge boulders, rocks, and small waterfalls.

The return trip called is a thrill ride through fourteen rapids, as the skilled boatmen maneuver the boat through the narrow rocks as it heads downstream.

The municipal government of Cavinti established the Pueblo El Salvador Nature's Park and Picnic Grove, in Barangay Tibatib on February 24, 2007, to capitalize on the popularity of Pagsanjan Falls, which is within the boundaries of the town.

Only the top of the middle falls is visible from the park; the hidden second drop can only be viewed from the raft ride from below.