The City of San Marcos has an extensive network of hiking, walking, and biking trails. One of the most popular routes in the area is this hike up to Double Peak, a small, local park with an impressive panoramic view. Continue reading Double Peak
Category Archives: Trail Write-Ups
Black Mountain (Ramona)
Back when they were naming mountains in San Diego, apparently no one bothered with a deconfliction log, because we somehow ended up with two Black Mountains. We’d hiked the smaller Black Mountain near Rancho Penasquitos earlier in the year, and this day I set out with one of my Facebook friends to tackle the more imposing Black Mountain of Ramona. Continue reading Black Mountain (Ramona)
South Fortuna Mountain (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Although South Fortuna is the smallest of Mission Trails’ five peaks, topping out at “only” 1094 feet in elevation, it is still a very popular choice for hikers seeking a workout. The main attraction of South Fortuna is the impressive set of wooden steps that leads up the peak’s western flank. Known by some as the “Stairway to Heaven,” this route travels unapologetically up the steep mountainside and is great for working those leg muscles. Continue reading South Fortuna Mountain (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Batiquitos Lagoon
Batiquitos Lagoon is one of the few remaining tidal wetlands in southern California. Located between Carlsbad and Encinitas, the Lagoon was chosen as a mitigation site in the 1980’s to offset development in San Pedro Harbor by the Port of Los Angeles. As a result, Batiquitos was dredged to remove accumulating silt and restore tidal flow to the Lagoon. Today Batiquitos Lagoon has been restored to a beautiful 610 acre preserve that is home to numerous fish, birds, plants, and mammals, and serves as a popular recreation spot for San Diegans looking for an easy, coastal stroll. Continue reading Batiquitos Lagoon
Sweetwater River Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
The Merigan trailhead at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is somewhat hidden out of the way on the southwest border of the park. Since its a bit off the beaten track that is Highway 79, this area is quieter and less busy than some of the more popular hikes like Stonewall Peak or Cuyamaca Peak, but just as beautiful as the rest of Cuyamaca. Continue reading Sweetwater River Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
Walker Preserve Trail
The Walker Preserve Trail is the most recently completed section of the San Diego River Trail. This section encompasses over 100 acres of mixed sage scrub, riparian and wetland habitat capable of supporting at least 3 federally protected bird species (the Southwestern willow flycatcher, the California gnatcatcher, and the least Bell’s viero). This area was once part of the Walker Family Dairy Farm, and until recently was off-limits to the public as it was used for sand mining. A combination of funding from the City of Santee and various grants were used to purchase the land and construct a beautiful riverside trail that was opened to the public in April 2015. Continue reading Walker Preserve Trail
El Cajon Mountain (“El Cap”)
El Cajon Mountain, or “El Cap” as its often referred to, is a major landmark in Eastern San Diego. The prominent granite ridge can be easily identified from many of southeastern San Diego’s trails and draws your attention as you drive east on Interstate 8. Located in the the County’s El Capitan Open Space Preserve, the trail up El Cajon Mountain is one of the most challenging in San Diego. It is often frequented by individuals training for adventures such as hiking Mount Whitney or competing in Iron Man triathlons, as well as ambitious day hikers. Continue reading El Cajon Mountain (“El Cap”)
Los Pinos Peak
We first learned of Los Pinos Peak last winter when we hiked to Corte Madera Mountain. Not to be confused with the Los Pinos Peak located in the Santa Ana Mountains, San Diego’s Los Pinos and neighboring Corte Madera are offshoots of the beautiful Espinosa Trail in the southern reaches of the Cleveland National Forest. Many people combine the two destinations into a single 10-mile hike, but since we hadn’t had time for both on our first excursion, we finally made plans to get back out there and do the Los Pinos hike. Continue reading Los Pinos Peak
Oak Grove Loop and Visitor Center Loop (Mission Trails Regional Park)
In our many trips to Mission Trails over the years, we’d always overlooked the Oak Grove trail
due to its short length. Deciding it was high time to rectify this oversight, we leashed up one of the dogs and headed to the park for a short hike combining the Oak Grove and Visitor’s Center Loop trails. Continue reading Oak Grove Loop and Visitor Center Loop (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve (West)
Of the many canyon open spaces in the City of San Diego, Los Penasquitos is the largest. Stretching some 7 miles between the 805 and 15 freeways, the Preserve contains a wide array of interesting scenery to enjoy. It is home to grassy hillsides, chaparral covered slopes, enormous groves of Sycamore trees, and expansive stands of oaks. Penasquitos Creek, a year-round stream, runs through the center of the canyon and provides the Preserve’s most alluring feature: an easily accessible waterfall. Continue reading Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve (West)