Waterfalls are relatively hard to come by in San Diego County, and most are only interesting for brief periods of time when we’ve had a lot of precipitation. As such, the few falls there are tend to get pretty crowded in the rainy season. Cottonwood Creek in the Laguna Mountains is home a small set of falls with a series of cascades and small pools. While less spectacular than Cedar Creek Falls or Three Sisters Falls, Cottonwood Creek Falls is correspondingly usually less crowded. The potential crowds are also lessened by the fact that the route to the falls is an unofficial and unmarked trail. Continue reading Cottonwood Creek Falls
Category Archives: Cleveland National Forest
West Side Road
The West Side Road in Ramona is an old forest road traveling through the Cleveland National Forest just outside of San Diego Country Estates. The road climbs high above the San Diego River Gorge, providing some breathtaking views. A little past two miles, the road crosses into private property. But just before that point, one can execute a short bushwhack to a hill overlooking the Devils Jumpoff, a nearly 100 foot waterfall active only during the wettest seasons. Even without the allure of flowing water, this is a great hike exploring some of San Diego’s backcountry. Continue reading West Side Road
Sunset Trail/Big Laguna Loop
The Meadows Information Kiosk trailhead in Mount Laguna is the starting point for a number of great hikes. It’s an easy access point for the many interconnecting spurs of the Big Laguna Trail, so it’s highly popular with hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers. It’s also the starting point for the somewhat quieter Sunset Trail, a hiker-only trail that travels through dense forest and along some ridges, which as the name implies, provide some lovely west-facing views well-suited for watching sunset. Continue reading Sunset Trail/Big Laguna Loop
Viejas Mountain
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
Desert View Nature Trail
The Desert View Nature Trail is a short interpretive trail that begins and ends at the Burnt Rancheria Campground in Mount Laguna. The trail overlaps a small segment of the Pacific Crest Trail, and as it name implies, provides some nice views of the Anza-Borrego Desert. In addition to the views, a printed trail guide is available that provides educational descriptions about numbered exhibits that can be found along the trail.
Since this was a rather short trail, we made a day of hitting several of the shorter interpretive trails in the area. After hiking the Wooded Hill Nature Trail and the Kwaaymii Trail, we headed over to the Burnt Rancheria Campground to finish up with the Desert View Nature Trail. From the Day Use parking lot, we set off east along a paved walkway through a canopy of Black Oaks.
We quickly came upon the campground amphitheater.
We followed the path as it wrapped around to the right. As we approached some bathrooms, we spotted a wooden sign that read “Desert View Trail” pointing us to the left, and we dutifully followed.
We made our way along the trail through the campground, admiring the golden orange leaves of the transitioning Black Oak trees.
We crossed a couple of roads and finally came to the outer edge of the campground, where we found a “Y” junction and a “Desert View Trail” sign in the middle of the two paths. Having absolutely no indication of whether we should turn right or left, we decided to head down the path on the right and see what happened. We later came to find that both paths eventually connect, so pick whichever route you like.
We followed the right fork for a short ways before it bent to the left, taking us towards the PCT. We came upon a pair of benches, strategically placed to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Around .45 miles our trail converged with the PCT, and we started up a small hill.
It was perfect hiking weather, sunny, but not too hot, and a gentle breeze kept us comfortable.
To the right, we had a fantastic view of La Posta Creek Valley.
The surrounding foliage was a beautiful mix of chaparral, oaks, and pine trees.
As we continued away from the sloping canyonside, the density of the trees increased.
At 1.1 miles we came upon a working drinking fountain, or “water drinker” as the accompanying plaque called it. Nearby, an unmarked path on the left appeared to lead back towards the campground. We continued straight.
As we started climbing uphill again, we spotted a small gopher snake hanging out on the trail ahead of us. He posed nicely for some photographs, and we then gently encouraged him off the trail so he’d have the safety of better camouflage in the surrounding grass.
As we continued up the hill, we began to get some of the promised desert views.
We were also able to spot the white orb of the Laguna Observatory in the north.
Around 1.4 miles, we came upon a “Y” junction where the Desert View Trail split off from the PCT. We turned left to start making our way back towards the campground.
We found a lovely log bench under a shady oak tree. This would be a great out of the way spot to relax for a little while.
The trail wound through more oak and pine forest.
Before long we met a paved road in the campground, and the end of the trail.
The trail ended a fair distance from our starting point, with no real indication of how to get back to the campground entrance. We basically just kept going right until we found ourselves back at the day use parking area. Based on the map it looks like it would be quicker to turn left at the end of the trail and from there follow the road the entrance. It’s a beautiful campground though, so whichever way you go it will be an enjoyable walk.
Directions:
From I-8 east take the Sunrise Highway exit and turn left onto Sunrise Highway (S1). Follow Sunrise Highway for approximately 9.5 miles to the Burnt Rancheria Campground on your right. Turn left at the fee station and follow the road a short ways to the day use parking area on your right. Park in one of the marked “Adventure Pass” parking spots. map
| Total Distance: | 1.7 miles |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Total Ascent: | 222 feet |
| Dog Friendly?: | Leashed dogs allowed |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes not allowed |
| Facilities: | Water and restrooms at campground |
| Fees/Permits: | Adventure Pass required |
For more information, visit:
Laguna Mountain Recreation Area Map
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
Kwaaymii Trail
The Kwaaymii Trail is a very short interpretive loop right next to the Mount Laguna Visitor’s Center. While I don’t recommend driving all the way out there just for this one short hike, it’s a really nice little trail to check out next time you’re in the area. After many trips to Mount Laguna where we had seen this trailhead when we stopped to use the restroom, we decided it was finally time to hike it. We made a day of exploring some of the shorter trails in the area like the Wooded Hill Trail, the Desert View Nature Trail (write-up coming soon), and the Kwaaymii Trail. This trail would also be a good choice if you happen to be camping in the area with small kids or non-hikers who want to get out and explore a little, but aren’t prepared for a longer trail. Continue reading Kwaaymii Trail
Wooded Hill Nature Trail
Wooded Hill Nature Trail is a short, easy, interpretive trail in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area that is perfect for a leisurely hike with the kids. While much of the Laguna Mountain area has suffered from fires, Wooded Hill and the surrounding area is still covered in mature pine and oak trees that legitimately merit the use of the word “forest”. Continue reading Wooded Hill Nature Trail
Big Laguna/PCT Loop
Of the many hikes in San Diego we’ve done, this 10 mile loop through the Mount Laguna Recreation Area might just be my favorite. The first half traverses the Big Laguna Trail, which takes you through some beautiful pine tree forests that are becoming so hard to find in San Diego after the many devastating wildfires of the past decade. It passes the wide, open fields of Big Laguna Meadow and the sometimes wet Big Laguna Lake. Eventually it meets up with the Pacific Crest Trail which traverses the boundary of the forested mountains and the arid Anza-Borrego desert below. If you’re lucky enough to hike it at the right time of year (late spring or early summer), you will enjoy colorful displays of wildflowers along the way. It really showcases the wide variety of landscapes in San Diego. Continue reading Big Laguna/PCT Loop
Kwaaymii Point
Kwaaymii Point is a popular hang-gliding and star gazing spot just off of the Sunrise Highway in the Laguna Mountains. While its possible to just drive to Kwaaymii Point, a much more enjoyable adventure can be had by hiking a short stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from the Pioneer Mail Picnic Area. Here, the PCT follows an old stretch of the Sunrise Highway that used to traverse the edge of the mountains before being re-routed to its less exciting present course. This stretch of trail offers breath taking views of Cottonwood Canyon and the Anza-Borrego Desert beyond. Continue reading Kwaaymii Point
Inaja Nature Trail
In 1956, 11 firefighters lost their lives while battling the Inaja Fire along the San Diego River outside of Julian. The Inaja Memorial Picnic Ground stands as tribute to these brave men who died battling the blaze. In addition to a stone memorial and the picnic amenities, this little rest stop just outside of Santa Ysabel contains a short but scenic Nature Trail with some fantastic views. Continue reading Inaja Nature Trail