Three Sisters Waterfall is one of many remote backcountry destinations in San Diego that has become increasingly popular thanks to the publicity of social media. With three successive, cascading waterfalls and pools of cool, flowing water to swim in, Three Sisters is indeed an alluring destination. But the trail to the falls has long been a bit sketchy and until recently involved a very steep descent down a heavily eroded hillside, often requiring the use of ropes. Fortunately the US Forest Service has recently cut a new section of trail that takes a much easier and more environmentally friendly route to the falls. Continue reading Three Sisters
Category Archives: Julian
Cedar Creek Falls (via Julian)
Cedar Creek Falls is one of San Diego’s most popular back country day hike destinations. Once a little-known place, the rise of the Internet and social media has turned this into a heavily trafficked, must-see selfie spot. There is good reason for this popularity, waterfalls are few and far between in arid San Diego, and not only is this one of the area’s more consistent and dramatic falls, it also has an idyllic pool perfect for swimming. Continue reading Cedar Creek Falls (via Julian)
William Heise County Park
William Heise County Park in Julian has a number of shorter trails running throughout. We had previously explored the Kelly Ditch Trail, which runs from Heise to Lake Cuyamaca, and several trails on the northern side of the park including the Desert View Trail. That left us with three remaining trails to explore: the Fern Trail, the Potter Loop, and the Cedar Trail. Since all three of these trails connect, we elected to combine them into one larger loop. The result was this moderate 3.2 mile hike with a wonderful variety of scenery. Continue reading William Heise County Park
Canyon Oak and Desert View Loop
William Heise County Park in Julian suffered significantly during the 2003 Cedar Fire, but the damage is mostly evident only on the outer portions of the park, away from the campground. The northeastern end of the park contains three intersecting loop trails – the Canyon Oak Trail, Desert View Trail, and a Self-Guided Nature Trail – where you can witness nature’s recovery. The trails travel through a mix of oak and pine woodland and thick chaparral. The trails are rather steep in sections, but you will be rewarded with some beautiful panoramic views from the “Glen’s View” viewpoint in the middle of the Desert View Trail. Continue reading Canyon Oak and Desert View Loop
Kelly Ditch Trail
The Kelly Ditch Trail runs between William Heise County Park in Julian and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. A section of the trail overlaps what was once “Kelly’s Ditch,” a ditch dug in order to route water runoff from North Peak to nearby Lake Cuyamaca and named after John Kelly, a rancher who owned the land along the course of the ditch.
The trail can be hiked as either a 5.6 mile point-to-point (best hiked south to north, beginning at Lake Cuyamaca and ending at Heise County Park), or as a more ambitious 11.2 mile out and back. We chose the out and back option to avoid the hassle and expense of shuttling two cars. Besides, who would argue against more hiking? We started at Heise County Park in order to get the worst of the climbing done up front.
We paid our day use fee at the entrance kiosk then turned around and parked in the day use parking lot just in front of the kiosk. At the southern edge of the lot we spotted a sign that read “Trail,” pointing us to the right.
We followed the road as it led south until we spotted the trailhead.
We passed through a small patch of pines and cedars.
The trees quickly quickly gave way to thick ceanothus.
At .3 mile we reached a wide dirt road.
The trail continued on the opposite side.
We made our way across an open field, then downhill a short distance to where the trail crossed Cedar Creek.
Just past the crossing, the Fern Trail branched off to the right. This trail reconnects to the Kelly Ditch Trail further on so you can take it as alternate route, but we decided to save that adventure for another day and continued straight. The trail led steeply uphill.
Around .7 mile we came to a “T” junction and turned right to continue on the Kelly Ditch Trail.
The trail continued uphill for a short distance, then began to descend.
Right around the 1 mile point we found the other end of the Fern Trail. There was also a wooden bench which provided a nice spot to sit and relax while listening to the nearby water.
Just beyond the bench was another branch of Cedar Creek.
We carefully crossed the creek and continued uphill on the other side.
From this point we had a seemingly endless maze of ceanothus to navigate.
There were a few spots where a hole in the thick brush allowed us a view of the surrounding area.
The occasional Black Oak in the midst of its fall color change brightened up the trail.
The trail continued steeply uphill, and the ceanothus began to get even thicker and taller.
Around 1.75 miles we reach the border between William Heise County Park and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. We noticed an interesting difference in the trail markers between the two parks: all of the signage in Heise County Park referred to it as the “Kelly Ditch Trail,” whereas the Cuyamaca signs read “Kelly’s Ditch Trail,” – an interesting bit of trivia to impress all your hiking friends.
The thick walls of ceanothus continued, and we found some downed trees on the trail to keep things interesting. A little bit of climbing and crawling got us past the obstacles.
While the ceanothus walls didn’t do much for the view, they were beneficial for helping keep the sun off. The day was warming up and we were thankful for the shade.
Around 2.35 mile we reached a spot that was relatively free of towering ceanothus. We paused for a few moments to enjoy the view.
The trail continued uphill, the trail littered with fallen sticks and branches. The remains of fire-ravaged trees lined the mountainside.
Once again, we found ourselves surrounded by tall ceanothus.
We continued to climb until about 2.75 miles, when the trail leveled out. With the lack of view, it was hard to see if we were atop any sort of high point, but the respite from climbing was noticeable and welcome.
Soon enough we found ourselves travelling downhill, and the brush subsided enough to give us a view of North Peak in the distance.
Around 3 miles we found ourselves in a level, open area. We had nearly given up hope of seeing anything other than solid walls of ceanothus, but the scenery here was a welcome change. There were a mix of fire-damaged tree remnants, new pine growth, and Black Oaks.
The trail soon merged with an old, overgrown road as we began to make our way around the western flank of North Peak.
Views to the west began to open up, and we were able to pick out some distant peaks like El Cajon Mountain. There was a solid wall of clouds along the coast.
At 4.2 miles we came to a “Y” junction. The wide road continued to the right, the trail markers indicated this route led towards Engineers Road. We took the narrow single track on the left.
The trail was rockier than it had previously been, and we noticed a subtle change in the vegetation as manzanita began to dominate the trailside.
At 4.5 miles the trail crossed the road and continued on the other side.
The trail continued to wind downhill through manzanita and toyon.
Eventually we found ourselves under a thick oak canopy.
We began to spot remnants of a low rock wall along the trail – Kelly’s Ditch.
With all the leaf litter on the ground, it was difficult to move quietly. We startled a large herd of deer who were foraging beneath the oaks.
We could hear the sound of traffic and knew we were getting close to the Highway.
At 5.6 miles we reached the end of the trail where it met Highway 79. We turned around and began the long hike back to our starting point.
Directions:
From downtown Julian, head west on Washington Street (CA 78/79). After approximately 1 mile, turn left onto Pine Hills Road. After approximately 1 mile, turn left onto Deer Lake Park Road. Follow Deer Lake Park Road for 2.1 miles, then turn left onto Frisius Drive. Keep right to continue onto Heise Park Road and follow it to the park entrance. map
| Total Distance: | 11.2 miles |
| Difficulty: | Moderately Strenuous |
| Total Ascent: | 2390 feet |
| Dog Friendly?: | Dogs not allowed on Cuyamaca portion |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes not allowed on Cuyamaca portion |
| Facilities: | Restrooms and water at Heise County Park |
| Fees/Permits: | $3 day use fee at Heise County Park |
For more information, visit:
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
Eagle Peak Preserve
Eagle Peak Preserve doesn’t actually contain Eagle Peak, but lies just north of it. The Preserve is located on Eagle Peak Road, surrounded by a mix of Cleveland National Forest and private property. It is the Flagship Preserve of The San Diego River Park Foundation (SDRPF), who began acquiring the property from private landowners in 2008. Thanks to the work of the SDRPF, this land is now protected and can continue to serve as an important corridor for wildlife in the area.
It should be noted that the Preserve does not have well marked, highly maintained trails. Novice hikers or those uncomfortable with route-finding may wish to bring along a more experienced friend on their first visit. But if bush-whacking and exploration is your thing, Eagle Peak Preserve is a great spot to find some quiet solitude and nice views of the upper San Diego River Gorge.
Driving down Eagle Peak Road, we spotted the first entrance to the preserve, marked by a red wooden fence, metal gate and small sign. We continued down the road about half a mile to the second entrance, which had a similar red wooden fence and metal gate, but no sign. But this entrance had something the first one lacked: room to park in a turnout on the side of the road. We parked in the turnout on the road opposite the gate and entered the preserve.
Beyond the gate was an open dirt area. A small pedestal with a trail map and information about Eagle Peak Preserve marked the start of the trail. An old, overgrown dirt road (The Historic Trail, according to the map) led uphill.
Our plan was to follow the the route described in the Coast to Cactus trail guide – follow the Historic Trail through the Preserve to Cleveland National Forest land, then bushwhack our way up to an unnamed peak to check out the views. There are some other potential destinations in the Preserve, including two small peaks with benchmarks: Son and Son 2, and a couple of ponds down in the valley below. We will likely return for further exploration.
For now, we followed the path of the Historic Trail – once part of the original route between San Diego and Julian – as it climbed up the hillside.
We paused frequently to enjoy the views of the surrounding area. Looking west, back towards the parking area, was the San Diego River Gorge.
As we continued on, we spotted a wall of rocks that supported the side of the old road. 
We reached a low ridge and the trail bent east. 
The trail was a little hard to spot in places due to the brush, but we’d soon spot the remnants of the rock wall and know we were on course.
Ahead, to the east, we could see the small peak we were aiming for.
Sarah 1165
In the valley on our left, we spotted one of the small ponds. Nearby was a wooden shade structure. According to the trail map we saw at the start of the trail, there was supposed to be a path from the trail we were on down to the pond, but we never spotted it in all the overgrown brush.
We continued picking our way through the thick brush. We were coming across more and more spots where vegetation made it difficult to see the old road, but continued pushing ahead until we managed to spot remnants of the rock wall and knew we were still on course.
Around 1.2 miles things got pretty messy. We came to what appeared to be a very faint “Y” junction – the left fork led down across a depression in the land, while the right fork contoured along the base of the hill.
Both routes looked reasonable, and we ended up taking the left fork through the small valley. On the return route though, we came back on the other fork and it seemed to be a little more trail-like, so that’s the route you probably want to take and is reflected in the GPS track.
Our adventure took us through a small valley towards a defoliated oak tree. After squeezing through some bushes, we found the rock wall and the road again on the other side.
We crossed a relatively flat, rocky, open expanse, aiming for the low ridge ahead of us. We found a few stone cairns along the way that let us know we were on the right track for something.
We reached the low ridge and once again found the rock wall the marked the old road. We continued northeast along the base of the peak.
The rock wall became increasingly apparent as we continued. We could see it stretch out ahead of us, wrapping the hillside into the distance.
Looking west, we had impressive views of the Preserve below us.
We passed a small sign with the San Diego River Park Foundation logo, presumably marking the border between Eagle Peak Preserve and Cleveland National Forest land.
From the sign it was a short way to the turn off we were looking for. There was a small saddle in the ridgeline above us, and we wanted to get up there. Around 1.55 miles the road began to curve sharply to the left, and we observed a cow path leading straight up the hill. We left the road and began climbing.
While the slope was steep, the ground was very soft and the impressions made by cow hoofs made perfect footholds for our ascent. 
A few minutes of sweating and dodging cow pies brought us to the top of the ridge where we found a fabulous grove of oak trees. We turned right and began heading uphill through the trees.
There was nothing resembling a trail at this point, so we just picked our own route south through the trees and sage, aiming for the highest point of land we could see.
We made our way to what looked like the high point, a nondescript pile of rocks and brush. It was a quiet and eminently serene spot to relax and enjoy the scenery.
The views from our pile of rocks and the surrounding hills were awesome. In the southeast were the Cuyamacas.
In the northeast was Kessler Flat and the road we had driven in on. We were able to spot some cows down below, possibly the same ones that had blazed the trail uphill for us.
To the south was Eagle Peak, the San Diego River Gorge, and El Cajon Mountain.
After enjoying the solitude and taking in the views, we headed back the way we had come.
Directions:
From Highway 79, just east of downtown Julian, head south on Pine Hills Road. Follow Pine Hills Road for approximately 1.6 miles and turn right onto Eagle Peak Road. Follow Eagle Peak Road for approximately 8.7 miles to the second (unmarked) entrance to Eagle Peak Preserve. Park in the turnout on the right side of the road. map
A note on road conditions: Most of Eagle Peak Road is unpaved, but its pretty well maintained and you shouldn’t have any issues in a passenger car.
| Total Distance: | 3.6 miles |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Total Ascent: | 850 feet |
| Dog Friendly?: | Leashed dogs allowed |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes allowed but not recommended |
| Facilities: | None |
| Fees/Permits: | None |
For more information, visit:
San Diego River Park Foundation: Eagle Peak Preserve Conservation Area
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
Santa Ysabel East Preserve
The Santa Ysabel County Preserve is currently divided into two separate parcels known as Santa Ysabel West and Santa Ysabel East. While land is being acquired to connect the two parcels, for the time being the two still stand apart. We had previously explored all of the Santa Ysabel West Trails, and part of the larger Santa Ysabel East Preserve. We’d been waiting for cooler weather and a long weekend to take on the more ambitious end-to-end exploration of Santa Ysabel East. Today was the day. Continue reading Santa Ysabel East Preserve
Kanaka Loop Trail (Santa Ysabel East 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)
Volcan Mountain Summit/Five Oaks Trail
Located just north of downtown Julian, the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve is a 3,000 acre Preserve run by the San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department. While many parts of neighboring Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and the Laguna Mountains have suffered from the devastating wildfires of recent years, the unscathed Volcan Mountain offers an increasingly rare trek through lush oaks and conifers. Continue reading Volcan Mountain Summit/Five Oaks Trail