Category Archives: East County

Mesa Trail/Big Rock Trail Loop


With its ease of access and numerous beautiful trails, Mission Trails sees a LOT of hikers. While you’ll have a hard time finding any trail with complete solitude in the park, Mesa Trail in the eastern section isn’t as heavily traveled as some of the others. This hike combines the Mesa Service Road, Mesa Trail, and the Big Rock Trail for a nice little loop with a variety of habitats to explore. You can tack on a summit of Cowles Mountain if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, but on a warm day or if you’re just out for a quickie, this short hike is quite nice by itself. Continue reading Mesa Trail/Big Rock Trail Loop

Crestridge Ecological Reserve – Valley View Truck Trail

Crestridge Ecological Reserve is wonderful oasis between Interstate 8 and the residential development of Crest. The reserve contains approximately 3000 acres of protected habitat, including riparian and oak woodlands, coastal sage scrub, and chaparral. There are numerous, interconnecting trails which connect as far as Flinn Springs County Park and Los Coches Road, allowing one to craft hikes of varying lengths and difficulties. Continue reading Crestridge Ecological Reserve – Valley View Truck Trail

The Historic Flume Trail

In the late 1800’s, a wooden flume was constructed to carry water from Lake Cuyamaca to the El Cajon Valley. Over the years, more efficient methods of transporting water have been developed, but remains of the old flume can still be found along its route. The County has recently opened the Historic Flume Trail in El Monte Valley, which encompasses a short segment of the flume’s route. This is an enjoyable little hike with fantastic views of El Monte Valley and El Cajon Mountain, with the option to connect to the trail around Lake Jennings if you’re looking for a longer route. Continue reading The Historic Flume Trail

Lakeside Linkage Preserve


Lakeside Linkage Preserve is a small but scenic open space area in East County. The trailhead is located in what at first glance appears to be a vacant lot on Los Coches Road in Lakeside, but once you get up the first hill you’ll find a peaceful oasis of coastal sage scrub and beautiful vistas of East County. Your destination is the historic Whitaker House, a well-known landmark that was donated to the county by its former owners Mildred and Hale Whitaker.

We were looking for a relatively quick afternoon hike that wouldn’t require a long drive, and Lakeside Linkage Preserve fit the bill. We parked on Los Coches Road right in front of the trailhead kiosk. A single track trail ran east through a field of thick green grass.

We followed the single track a few hundred feet to the base of the hill. Following the trail marker, we turned right and began ascending.

Below us, in the field, we saw the concrete remains of what was presumably a building at one point.

The trail quickly turned very steep as it made a zig-zag then turned almost straight up the side of the hill.

It wasn’t a very long hill, but it was definitely one of the steeper climbs we’d done recently.

Around .34 miles the trail leveled out and we paused to relax a moment, enjoying the green hillside.

The trail gradually turned north. We made our way across the sage topped expanse.

The trail got a little confusing in this area, but we followed the ridgeline as it turned uphill to the east. The lower path to the right leads over to another neighborhood access point. Everything reconnects eventually, but the path to the left up the ridge is the official trail and most direct route.

A little past .5 miles the trail connected with a wide dirt road. We turned left and continued to climb.

It wasn’t long before we spotted another green post trail marker directing us off the road to a path on the left and we turned.

To the west we could see the housing developments along Los Coches Road.

To the east were more houses, and El Cajon Mountain and the Cuyamacas in the distance.

Despite the proximity of civilization, the trail itself was quite peaceful. We startled a rabbit who bounded off into the brush as we approached.

Around .8 mile the trail passed right by someone’s backyard fence, then began a steep descent.

There was a brief ascent to another hilltop where were finally able to see the mountains in the east without annoying power lines obstructing the view.

At just under 1 mile, we noticed a use trail branching off to the left. It led a short way to an overlook, so of course we had to check out the view.

Continuing on the main trail, we found another overlook just a couple hundred feet up the trail. From here we had a nice view of our destination to the north.

The trail wound down the hill through the brush.

We came to a paved road which leads up to the Whitaker House.

Paved roads are of course lame, but fortunately there is a non-lame hiking trail that goes along the opposite side of the hill. So that’s the way we took.

The only problem was that the trail, apparently having suffered a bit of erosion during the recent rains, had erupted in abundant growth of vegetation, making it a little hard to find our way.

But we followed the track the best we could, mostly by spotting some deep hoof prints under the weeds, and eventually found a better marked section of trail.

It wasn’t long before we spotted Old Glory waving from the hilltop ahead of us and knew we were almost there.

We found a short set of cement steps leading up to the top.

On the north end of the hilltop was the gorgeous stone Whitaker House.

Opposite the house was a rather bizarre cement and stone overlook.

We wandered around the hilltop exploring the gardens and interesting stonework. Behind the house there was an amazing view to the north of Lindo Lake and the mountains beyond.

To the northeast was a great view towards El Monte Valley with El Cajon Mountain towering above.

We took our time exploring the Hilltop before finally heading back the way we had come.


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Directions:
From I-8 take the Los Coches Road exit. Head north on Los Coches Road for approximately 1.4 miles where you will find the trailhead on the right side of the road. Park along Los Coches Road. map

Total Distance: 2.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Total Ascent: 650 feet
Dog Friendly?: Leashed dogs allowed
Bike Friendly?: Bikes allowed
Facilities: None
Fees/Permits: None

For more information, visit:
View route or download GPX from CalTopo

Viejas Mountain

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The rugged, triangular peak of Viejas Mountain rises just north of Interstate 8 in Alpine. The trail up the western flank of the mountain is a steep and no-nonsense affair through thick chaparral brush with zero shade. This is not a hike for hot summer days, but makes for a fantastic early morning workout or winter excursion. The climb is steep, but the unobstructed views along the trail and 360 degree vantage from the summit makes the effort more than worthwhile. Continue reading Viejas Mountain

Lake Jennings

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Lake Jennings is a man-made reservoir located in Lakeside. While its main purpose is to provide drinking water, Lake Jennings also provides a wide array of recreational opportunities including fishing, camping, boating, bird-watching, and most importantly, hiking. While the campground is open 7 days a week, the eastern side of the lake is only open Friday – Sunday, so you’ll need to plan accordingly if you want to do this route and go all the way around the lake. Continue reading Lake Jennings

San Diego National Wildlife Refuge – Par 4 Trail

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Although we’ve been frequent visitors to the western portion of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Rancho San Diego, we’d never managed to make it over to the eastern side. In fact, for many years we had no idea there was another part of the refuge, as the main trailhead to the area lies a the end of a remote suburban cul-de-sac.

The Par 4 trailhead leads to a nice little loop trail that runs along the Sweetwater River near the Cottonwood Golf Course and along the hills just north of Steele Canyon High School. There’s a network of use trails running through the area so you can do some exploring. We ended up doing something of a figure-8 loop that seemed to incorporate most of the highlights of the area. Continue reading San Diego National Wildlife Refuge – Par 4 Trail

Horsethief Canyon

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Like its name implies, Horsethief Canyon was once used by thieves to corral stolen horses before heading for the Mexican border. These days the area has a less notorious reputation, and is more frequently visited by hikers than criminals. This hike travels along the western section of the Espinosa trail, through some stunning oak woodlands to the beautiful Pine Creek. As with most water sources in San Diego, you’ll want to do this hike in winter or early spring to maximize your chances of actually finding water. Also note that this is a “reverse” hike – you’ll be doing the easy downhill hike into the canyon at the start, and the more rigorous uphill climb out of the canyon comes at the end. Continue reading Horsethief Canyon

Sloan Canyon

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Ever since we had hiked Sycuan Peak last fall we’d been eager to get back out and experience some more of the rugged beauty of Jamul. The California Riding & Hiking Trail (CR&HT), the incomplete and non-contiguous statewide trail system, runs through the area. We decided to check out this short stretch that runs down into Sloan Canyon and crosses the Sweetwater River just downstream of Loveland Reservoir. Continue reading Sloan Canyon

Louis Stelzer County Park

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Louis Stelzer County Park was originally a weekend retreat known as “Shadow Mountain Ranch,” owned by Louis A. Stelzer. He deeded the property to the County upon his death in the early 1970’s under the condition that it be turned into a park so that children would have a place for outdoor education and recreation. Thus these 310 acres of oak woodland and coastal sage scrub became Louis Stelzer County Park. Today the park has picnic tables, a small garden, a playground, and most importantly, several interconnected hiking trails.

We pulled into the parking lot and set about trying to figure out the parking fee system. A metal post at the driveway entrance informed us of the $3 Day Use fee, but the little basket that held the envelopes for enclosing your payment was empty. We went over to the other end of the parking lot where there was a similar post, and found a few faded envelopes there. It occurred to me, based on the apparent age of the envelope I was stuffing my money into, that the fee collection might not be all that strictly enforced, but considering how much use I get out of the County Park system I didn’t have any problems giving them a few bucks. So I dutifully filled out the envelope, crammed in my money, inserted the envelope into the slot, and placed the receipt portion in my windshield.20151108DSC_4159StelzerPark

With the administrative tasks completed, we were free to begin the adventure portion of our day. We found a kiosk with a trail map at the park entrance and took a moment to plan our route. There are several different interconnecting trails that wind through the park, so we planned on combining them to hopefully cover the most ground without too much backtracking (check out the trail map here).

We stepped inside the fence beyond the kiosk, and found the trailhead just to the right. The first section of our hike was along the Riparian Hiking Trail, a lovely oak-shaded path that runs along Stelzer Creek.20151108DSC_4168-EditStelzerPark

We set off along the wide, dirt trail overhung by large oak trees.20151108DSC_4173-EditStelzerPark

As we continued, we had views down into the densely overgrown creekbed, where thickets of poison oak covered the ground and tangles of wild grape vine covered the trees.20151108DSC_4174-EditStelzerPark

The lush vegetation along the creek and granite boulders strewn along the hillside made for an idyllic setting. The only drawback was the traffic noise from nearby Wildcat Canyon Road.20151108DSC_4180-EditStelzerPark

We crossed a couple of small wooden footbridges as the oak trees thinned out somewhat, giving way to Sycamores and Arroyo Willow.20151108DSC_4190-EditStelzerPark

At .45 mile the Riparian Trail ended at a beautiful little clearing with a picnic table and numerous granite boulders. This would make an excellent spot for a picnic if you were looking for just a short stroll, especially with young children. 20151108DSC_4206StelzerPark

We, however, were just getting warmed up. So we followed the sign pointing left for the next stretch of trail named the Wooten Loop.20151108DSC_4205StelzerPark

The shady coolness of the creekside oak trees disappeared, and we found ourselves climbing a dry and exposed stretch of trail through dried grass, Laurel Sumac, and the occasional clump of sage.20151108DSC_4210-EditStelzerPark

It was about .1 miles of uphill climbing to reach the Observation Deck, where we had views of the creek we had just been hiking along as well as the fabulous Wildcat Canyon Road.20151108DSC_4214-EditStelzerPark

We continued ascending the rocky slope.20151108DSC_4216-EditStelzerPark

At .72 mile we came to a “T” junction with the Stelzer Trail. The left fork led back down to the park. We turned right to continue up to the ridgeline.20151108DSC_4219StelzerPark

We made our way up a series of long, gentle switchbacks through more sage and Laurel Sumac.20151108DSC_4222-EditStelzerPark

Just shy of the 1 mile point we came to another “T” junction marked by a kiosk and sign pointing to Kumeyaay Promontory and Stelzer Summit.20151108DSC_4228StelzerPark

We turned right to head to Kumeyaay Promontory first, figuring we’d want to take a break and lounge around for a bit at the top of Stelzer Peak. The path here was a wide dirt fire road running along the ridgeline.20151108DSC_4231-EditStelzerPark

It was a quick climb to the top, where unfortunately we found a couple of large transmission towers mucking up most of the views. On the southern edge, however, was a nice bench with some relatively unadulterated views of El Monte Valley below.20151108DSC_4240-EditStelzerPark

And walking out to the western edge we had some clear shots of Mission Trails as well.20151108DSC_4242-EditStelzerPark

After enjoying the views for a few minutes, we retraced our route back to the last junction with the kiosk, and continued along the fire road towards Stelzer Peak.20151108DSC_4247-EditStelzerPark

The rocky peak loomed tantalizingly close above us.20151108DSC_4249-EditStelzerPark

So far the various trail sections had been pretty easy, with only a couple of inclines of note. This section fire road, however, was really steep and covered in fun, slippery gravel. I had stupidly neglected to bring my trekking poles on this excursion, figuring that a few miles around a park wouldn’t require them. Almost every time I do this, I regret it, and today was no exception.20151108DSC_4255-EditStelzerPark

Luckily, while the ascent was steep and the footing somewhat treacherous, it wasn’t all that long. I managed to make it up without slipping and falling on my face. Here’s a shot from near the top lest you think I’m being overly dramatic.20151108DSC_4256-EditStelzerPark

At 1.75 miles we came to another “T” junction, and turned right to reach the summit.20151108DSC_4259-EditStelzerPark

We picked our way through the brush along the rocky use trail to the top.20151108DSC_4263-EditStelzerPark

The summit had a bunch of alluring boulders to lounge upon while admiring the views.20151108DSC_4264-EditStelzerPark

To the east we could see the always-impressive form of El Cajon Mountain.20151108DSC_4267-EditStelzerPark

And to the west was Kumeyaay Promonotory, where we’d just been, with Lakeside and Mission Trails in the distance.20151108DSC_4270-EditStelzerPark

There was even a cool little crevice for people more daring than I to explore.20151108DSC_4268-EditStelzerPark

After exploring the peak and having a quick snack, we headed back down. I managed not to fall going back down the slippery gravel-covered hill, which was way more difficult than coming up had been. We retraced our route back to where we had first joined the Stelzer trail, and continued east back towards the park.20151108DSC_4276-EditStelzerPark

From here the trail descended gently through the chaparral covered hillside.20151108DSC_4280StelzerPark

We knew we were getting close when we began to see oak trees along the trail again, and at 2.9 miles we came to the paved walkway of the park and headed back to the entrance.20151108DSC_4285-EditStelzerPark


Directions:
From Interstate 8, take Highway 67 north until the freeway portion ends and turn right on Mapleview. Turn left on Ashwood, which will turn into Wildcat Canyon Road. Go approximately 2 miles and the entrance to the park will be on the right. Cost for parking is $3 and requires self-registration, so bring exact change. map

Total Distance: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Total Ascent: 709 feet
Dog Friendly?: Leashed dogs allowed
Bikes Friendly?: Bikes allowed
Facilities: Vault toilets and water at park, but there is currently a boil water order in effect for the park
Fees/Permits: $3 Day use parking fee

For more information, visit:
County of San Diego Parks and Recreation – Louis Stelzer County Park
Trail Map
View route or download GPX in CalTopo