Garnet Peak is one of our favorite hikes in San Diego. It’s a fairly easy hike with fantastic views, and during the right time of year there are plenty of wildflowers to enjoy. We like this hike so much, this is the third time we’ve written it up – documenting three different ways to get there. This particular route, starting from the Penny Pines trailhead along the Sunrise Highway, is probably the most popular route (likely because of the ample free parking – no Adventure Pass is required at Penny Pines). It travels north along the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) before branching off to ascend Garnet Peak. Continue reading Garnet Peak via Penny Pines
Category Archives: Peaks
Mount Woodson (Potato Chip Rock) via Blue Sky Ecological Reserve
Mount Woodson, perhaps better known as “Potato Chip Rock,” is a tough hike no matter which route you take. The least hard route starts from Highway 67 and climbs a steep and winding fire road up the eastern side of the mountain. Even more grueling is the route from Lake Poway up the western side. For those looking for even more mileage and elevation gain, we suggest this route that begins at Blue Sky Ecological Reserve and connects to the Lake Poway route. Continue reading Mount Woodson (Potato Chip Rock) via Blue Sky Ecological Reserve
Mount Woodson (Potato Chip Rock) via Highway 67
Mount Woodson has become an extremely popular hiking destination due to the famous Potato Chip Rock – a fragile looking granite shard which, from the right angle, can look like its extending into nothingness, making for some creative photo opportunities. On warm weekends, you will likely encounter throngs of hikers making their way up the popular summit via one of two main routes: up the western flank of the mountain via Lake Poway, or this shorter, easier approach up the eastern side of the mountain starting from Highway 67. There is a less-traveled, quieter route that also starts near Highway 67 and traverses the northern flank of the mountain – the Fry Koegel Trail. We combined the fire road and the Fry-Koegel Trail for an enjoyable 5.6 mile loop. Continue reading Mount Woodson (Potato Chip Rock) via Highway 67
Oakzanita Peak Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
One of my favorite things about Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is its extensive, interconnected network of trails that lets you make hikes as long or as short as you like. If you just want to bag a peak, you can do it as a quick out and back. If you want to do a long, meandering route that includes a peak, you can do that too. We had previously hiked Oakzanita Peak as a simple out and back, and found it to have outstanding views with considerably fewer people than the more popular Stonewall Peak. We decided to revisit Oakzanita but make a longer hike out of it and ended up with this 9.2 mile loop. Continue reading Oakzanita Peak Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
Monument Peak
Monument Peak in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area may not be the most pristine peak, topped with numerous antennae and towers – not to mention a satellite laser facility – but it is still a beautiful destination. The peak sits along the edge of the Laguna Mountains, with the Anza-Borrego desert lying below to the east. Continue reading Monument Peak
Dictionary Hill Open Space Preserve
Dictionary Hill Open Space Preserve in Spring Valley is the newest addition to the County’s open space parks. Thanks to the dedication and perseverance of the Dictionary Hill Open Space Advocates, the County Board of Supervisors recently voted to acquire and preserve these 175 acres.
In the 1800’s, Dictionary Hill was known as Lookout Mountain. Rufus King Porter, one of the founders of Spring Valley, would climb the mountain to check whether the steamer was in port before making the trip into Old Town to pick up mail and sell produce. Today, standing atop the hill, one can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of southeast San Diego.
There are several access points to the new open space, but we chose the trailhead at the end of S Barcelona Street as it appeared to offer the longest hike to the hilltop, and incorporates a stretch along Bancroft Creek. The trail began at the road’s end, leading into a dense grove of eucalyptus trees.
We followed the trail through the trees and turned right, heading west.
The trail climbed a short hill through the chaparral.
Before long it leveled out. There was a dry creek bed on our right, full of brush – Bancroft Creek.
Around .25 mile the trail crossed the dry creek bed and continued through the canyon.
Around .4 mile we came to a 4-way junction.
We took the left fork to begin making our way up the hill.
The path was steep and rocky. We were glad we’d bought our trekking poles as the footing was a bit challenging.
Around .55 mile we came to a “T” junction and turned left. Up the hill, we could see a small water tower.
Taking a moment to pause and catch our breath, we admired the stunning view to the east.
The trail wrapped around the southwestern flank of the hill.
Soon we were able to see Sweetwater Reservoir to the south. Here there was another wide junction, and we turned right to make our way towards the summit.
We passed a few more intersections but stayed straight, aiming for the high point.
Finally, right around the 1 mile point we reached the wide, open top of Dictionary Hill. We looked around for a benchmark or peak register but didn’t find anything other than rocks and brush.
The real destination though appeared to be on the western edge of the hill top, from where we had an outstanding view of the city below and the coastline beyond. We began picking out local landmarks and were even able to spot our house. In the distance, we could see the Silver Strand, Point Loma, the Coronado Bridge, and the Coronado Islands off the coast of Mexico.
We walked around the hilltop, taking in the panoramic views all around. To the north was Cowles Mountain and other peaks of Mission Trails.
Mount Helix was closer, to the northeast, and Iron Mountain and Mount Woodson could be seen far in the distance to the left. We were also able to pick out the distinctive forms of El Cajon Mountain and Cuyamaca Peak. All in all, we were extremely impressed with the view given the short climb that had brought us here.
After exploring the hilltop we decided to take a slightly different route down. We found another rough path leading down the northeast side of the hilltop, heading towards another water tower (different than the water tower we had passed on our climb up).
There was quite a network of interconnecting trails up here, but we just headed for the water tower.
Upon reaching the tower, we turned right and followed the fence line east down the hill.
We continued downhill, reaching a “T” junction with another utility road and turning left.
This road curved around and continued west down an extremely steep hill. The dirt was very loose and slippery, being that it hadn’t rained in pretty much forever, and we were once again thankful for our trekking poles.
Finally we reached the bottom of the hill and turned right.
We were now in the canyon through which we had come in, and in just a couple hundred feet passed the turn-off we had first taken to begin climbing the hill. From here, we retraced our route back to the start.
Directions:
From 94 east take the Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Head south on Sweetwater Springs Blvd for approximately .9 mile. Turn right onto Austin Drive and continue for approximately .7 mile. Turn left onto S Barcelona St and proceed about .3 mile to the end of the road where you will find the trailhead. Park along the street. map
| Total Distance: | 2.1 miles |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Total Ascent: | 565 feet |
| Dog Friendly?: | Leashed dogs allowed |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes allowed |
| Facilities: | None |
| Fees/Permits: | None |
For more information, visit:
Dictionary Hill Open Space Advocates
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
Mother Miguel Mountain (aka The Rock House)
Mother Miguel Mountain is a modest prominatory in the shadow of the much more impressive San Miguel Mountain (aka Mt Miguel). Since San Miguel Mountain is sadly not open to the public, Mother Miguel is one of the few easily accessible hikes with notable elevation gain in Chula Vista. This distinction, along with the photogenic Rock House (a large man made pile of rocks complete with flagpole) at the summit, make Mother Miguel Mountain a highly popular trail. Don’t expect to find solitude on this hike, but you will be rewarded with a great workout and fantastic views of the South Bay. Continue reading Mother Miguel Mountain (aka The Rock House)
Stonewall Peak Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
Stonewall Peak is one of the most popular hikes in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and with good reason. The trail is easily accessible, beginning just across the street from the park’s main campground, and it provides some amazing views. If you’re looking for a new twist on this popular hike, you can try this variation. After summiting, continue along the Stonewall Peak Trail as it descends the back side of the mountain to meet with the California Riding and Hiking Trail, then continue on the Cold Stream Trail to loop back to the start. This adds about 1 mile to the hike, but will offer significant solitude compared to the busy trail that leads up to the Peak. Continue reading Stonewall Peak Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
Rock Mountain
The Rock Mountain Preserve in Fallbrook is a small preserve just north of the Santa Margarita River hiking trail. Managed by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy, it is a short, rugged hike to a scenic outcropping of rocks overlooking the river valley. Sadly, there is a significant amount of graffiti around the summit area, but the impressive views and enjoyable rock scrambling more than make up for it. Continue reading Rock Mountain
Boucher Hill Loop (Palomar Mountain State Park)
Boucher Hill in Palomar Mountain State Park has been used for fire surveillance since the early 1900’s. The first lookout tower was built in 1921 by the US Forest Service, and the second was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The tower that currently stands atop the hill was built in 1948, and is staffed by volunteers during fire season (May – early December). When staffed, the tower is generally open for public tours. Continue reading Boucher Hill Loop (Palomar Mountain State Park)