While just about everyone has hiked Cowles Mountain, surprisingly few bother to continue on to Pyles Peak, the second highest peak in Mission Trails. Pyles Peak can only be accessed by first summiting Cowles then traveling another another 1.5 miles northwest. You’ll quickly leave the constant stream of hikers and trail runners behind on this trek and likely have the beautiful views all to yourself. Continue reading Pyles Peak (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Cowles Mountain is probably the most popular hiking destination in San Diego, and of the several possible routes to the peak, the trail starting at Golfcrest and Navajo is by far the most heavily used (check out our write-ups of alternate starting points Big Rock Park and Barker Way). This is not the hike to do if you are looking for some quiet solitude to commune with nature, as you will be sharing the trail with dozens of other hikers and runners (many of whom choose to disregard the “no amplified music” rule and broadcast their tunes for everyone to hear). Parking here can also be a significant challenge – at peak times its so busy that cars line the street as far as the eye can see. In fact, this trail is so popular that Mission Trails Regional Park has created the 5-Peak Challenge to encourage hikers to explore other areas of the park in the hopes of alleviating some of the parking issues. But despite the crowds, this is still a really beautiful hike with some of the best views within the city limits. It provides a great workout and is a choice spot for watching sunrise, sunset, or enjoying a full moon. Continue reading Cowles Mountain (Mission Trails Regional Park)
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.
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.
We set off along the wide, dirt trail overhung by large oak trees.
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.
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.
We crossed a couple of small wooden footbridges as the oak trees thinned out somewhat, giving way to Sycamores and Arroyo Willow.
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. 
We, however, were just getting warmed up. So we followed the sign pointing left for the next stretch of trail named the Wooten Loop.
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.
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.
We continued ascending the rocky slope.
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.
We made our way up a series of long, gentle switchbacks through more sage and Laurel Sumac.
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.
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.
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.
And walking out to the western edge we had some clear shots of Mission Trails as well.
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.
The rocky peak loomed tantalizingly close above us.
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.
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.
At 1.75 miles we came to another “T” junction, and turned right to reach the summit.
We picked our way through the brush along the rocky use trail to the top.
The summit had a bunch of alluring boulders to lounge upon while admiring the views.
To the east we could see the always-impressive form of El Cajon Mountain.
And to the west was Kumeyaay Promonotory, where we’d just been, with Lakeside and Mission Trails in the distance.
There was even a cool little crevice for people more daring than I to explore.
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.
From here the trail descended gently through the chaparral covered hillside.
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.
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
Eagle Peak has been touted by many San Diego hikers as having some of the best views in the county. Rising just west of the Cuyamaca Mountains, Eagle Peak towers high above the surrounding Cedar Creek, Boulder Creek, and San Diego River Gorges, and does indeed offer some stunning views. However, this hike is somewhat overshadowed by the more popular Three Sisters Falls hike, which shares a common trailhead, so the chances are good that you can have this fantastic peak all to yourself. Continue reading Eagle Peak
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It had been a long time since we’d made it up to Daley Ranch for some hiking, and were feeling like we were long overdue for another visit. The weather hadn’t been particularly conducive to peak bagging, especially in Escondido, but we decided to suck it up and make an early start so we could tackle Stanley Peak. The day turned out to be warm, but not unbearably hot, so with an ample supply of water and sunscreen we were adequately prepared for the adventure. Continue reading Stanley Peak (Daley Ranch)
