High Point, the top of Palomar Mountain, is home to one of the few fire lookout towers in San Diego that is still currently in use. The tower is staffed by volunteers from the Forest Fire Lookout Association during fire season. While the tower itself is only open to authorized personnel, you can still visit the peak and enjoy the fantastic views. Volunteers and less ambitious visitors make the journey via dirt road with a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but the fun route is a calf-busting 13 mile hike up the northeastern side of the mountain. Naturally, that’s the route we took. Continue reading Oak Grove to High Point→
Temperatures in the river gorge frequently reach well over 100 degrees. While hiking out to the local swimming hole for a refreshing dip may seem like a good idea on a hot summer day, each year dozens of hikers regularly succumb to heat exhaustion while trying to hike back out to the trailhead. Several heat-related fatalities have occurred on this trail. In the summer, the waterfall does not flow, and the little water that is in the pool is usually stagnant and green with algae, so its really not worth risking your life for.
Do this hike in the winter or early spring.
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Cedar Creek Falls is an extremely popular hike, and for very good reason. The hike itself offers breathtaking views of the San Diego River Gorge and surrounding mountains, and the destination is an idyllic swimming hole at the base of an 80 foot waterfall. As there’s a considerable lack of freshwater playgrounds in San Diego, its easy to see why this uniquely beautiful spot gets so much attention. The drawback, however, is you will likely have to share this gem with others during your visit, especially if you go on a weekend. The swimming hole is often erroneously referred to as the Devil’s Punchbowl. The real Devil’s Punchbowl lies to the east on private property along Boulder Creek. Continue reading Cedar Creek Falls (via Ramona)→
Monserate Mountain is one of a number of beautiful Preserves managed by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy. The trail takes a no-nonsense approach up the west side of the mountain through the typical mix of chaparral and coastal sage scrub, leading to panoramic vistas of Fallbrook’s avocado orchards, the Pacific Ocean, and surrounding mountains. Because the trail is steep and exposed, it is best enjoyed in the cooler temperatures of fall, winter, and spring. Continue reading Monserate Mountain→
The Noble Canyon trail is very popular among mountain bikers due to its challenging, technical descents and beautiful scenery. If you don’t mind dodging bikers, and can arrange a car at either end, it also makes for an epic 10 mile hike through a variety of ecosystems. The trail begins among the pines and meadows of Laguna Mountain, travels down through an oak-lined, riparian creekside, and then traverses an arid, rocky canyon down into Pine Valley. North to south is the preferred direction of travel, since its mostly downhill. Continue reading Noble Canyon→
Kwaay Paay Peak in Mission Trails Regional Park doesn’t receive nearly the amount of traffic that its more popular neighbor Cowles Mountain does. This makes it a great alternative for hikers looking for a quick mountain climbing workout but who don’t want to contend with an overcrowded trail and a dearth of parking. Kwaay Paay is somewhat shorter and not quite as tall as Cowles, but in my opinion actually makes for a more intense workout since it lacks the gentle switchbacks of its nearby cousin. Continue reading Kwaay Paay Peak (Mission Trails Regional Park)→
Guatay Mountain is an unassuming peak on the northern edge of the Pine Creek Wilderness. It is also home to the rare Tecate cypress tree. The trail here is largely unmaintained, making for a somewhat challenging ascent, but the advantage is that its also not widely used, making it a great spot for some quiet solitude. Continue reading Guatay Mountain→
Located in Ramona, Barnett Ranch is 728 acre Preserve purchased by the county in 2002. The Preserve contains a variety of habitats including riparian forest, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and non-native grassland. The Preserve contains 2 formal trails: The Valley View Trail and the Rattlesnake Trail (trail map). Continue reading Barnett Ranch Preserve→
Heller’s Bend is a 48 acre preserve owned and managed by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy. The FLC was founded in 1988 by local residents to preserve the natural beauty and enhance the rural character of the Fallbrook community. While the Fallbrook area has undergone considerable development since 1988, thanks to the FLC areas like Heller’s Bend Preserve have been set aside for our enjoyment. Continue reading Heller’s Bend Preserve→
The Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve actually consists of two disconnected parcels of land in the Santa Ysabel and Julian areas. The two distinct sections are referred to as Santa Ysabel West and Santa Ysabel East. To further confuse the issue, Santa Ysabel East has two trailheads: The Highway 79 trailhead on the western side of the Preserve, and the Farmer Staging area on the east. This hike begins at the Farmer Staging area and explores the eastern end of the preserve.
The Preserve encompasses former ranchland, and cattle are still allowed to graze in the area. It can be a bit disconcerting at first to pass close to some of these large creatures, who apparently make it a habit of napping in the middle of the trail. But after spending several hours in their company, I am happy to report they’re quite docile and shouldn’t cause you any problems if you give them some space and respect. Continue reading Kanaka Loop Trail (Santa Ysabel East Preserve)→
East Shepherd Canyon is another one of San Diego’s many neighborhood canyon areas that helps maintain a touch of nature in our otherwise urban and suburban neighborhoods. Unlike many hikes in San Diego, however, East Shepherd Canyon has the unique advantage of being fairly well shaded for much of the route. A short, tree-lined hike sounded perfect for one of our monsters, so we were joined by the ever-handsome Apollo. Continue reading East Shepherd Canyon→
