Category Archives: Fire Lookout Towers

6-10 miles, Cleveland National Forest, Dog Friendly, East County, Fire Lookout Towers, Mountain Empire, Peaks, Trail Write-Ups

Los Pinos Peak

20150502_DSC3980-EditLos Pinos

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 →

10+ miles, Cleveland National Forest, Dog Friendly, Fire Lookout Towers, North County, Palomar Mountain, Peaks, Trail Write-Ups

Oak Grove to High Point

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20150412DSC_9431OakGroveHighPoint

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 →