Old Survey Road 97 was once a main thoroughfare connecting Ramona and Escondido. Established in the late 1800’s, the road was used for mail deliveries, gold miners travelling to Julian, and General Stephen Kearney and Kit Carson as they made their way to the Battle of San Pasqual. The road fell into disuse when it was replaced by Highway 78 in 1930. A section of the old road lies on the northern side of the Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Until recently it has been closed to public access due to the presence of sensitive species, particularly the Golden Eagle who has been seen nesting nearby. Continue reading Old Survey Road 97 (Ramona Grasslands Preserve)→
Luelf Pond Open Space Preserve is a small but picturesque spot situated adjacent to a residential area in Ramona. There’s only a single trail, but lush oak trees and a steep climb leading to some sweeping vistas make it a worthwhile trip. Continue reading Luelf Pond Open Space Preserve→
Primarily catering to campers and picnickers, Dos Picos is a fairly small park in Ramona with two designated nature trails, several roads, and informal meandering pathways to explore. There is a small but scenic pond where you can fish or watch the birds. And despite the ravages of drought and gold spotted oak borer beetle, there are still lush groves of oak trees creating a quiet, sylvan paradise. It’s a great choice for those with young kids or anyone looking for a short, easy hike that still provides a significant dose of nature. Continue reading Dos Picos County Park→
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→
Simon County Preserve is one of Ramona’s many excellent hiking destinations. The 650-acre preserve has a number of interconnecting trails to explore, wide open grasslands, and a few small creeks. It is also home to Ramona Peak – a relatively easy climb that still rewards you with some wonderful views. Continue reading Simon County Preserve – Ramona Peak→
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→
Mount Gower Open Space Preserve is a 1574 acre preserve in Ramona. The preserve is frequently used as the starting point to hike to Mount Gower, which lies off-trail on Cleveland National Forest land immediately east of the preserve. But the preserve itself also has several viewpoints which are in and of themselves worthy destinations. On the northern end of the preserve is a shorter 3.5 mile round-trip trail for those looking for an easier hike. We decided today that we were going to tackle the longer route on the southern end of the preserve, where we would find a viewpoint overlooking the San Vicente Valley below. Continue reading Mount Gower Open Space Preserve – Southern Viewpoint→
Back when they were naming mountains in San Diego, apparently no one bothered with a deconfliction log, because we somehow ended up with two Black Mountains. We’d hiked the smaller Black Mountain near Rancho Penasquitos earlier in the year, and this day I set out with one of my Facebook friends to tackle the more imposing Black Mountain of Ramona.Continue reading Black Mountain (Ramona)→
Temperatures in the river gorge frequently reach well over 100 degrees. While hiking out to the local swimming hole for a refreshing dip may seem like a good idea on a hot summer day, each year dozens of hikers regularly succumb to heat exhaustion while trying to hike back out to the trailhead. Several heat-related fatalities have occurred on this trail. In the summer, the waterfall does not flow, and the little water that is in the pool is usually stagnant and green with algae, so its really not worth risking your life for.
Do this hike in the winter or early spring.
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Cedar Creek Falls is an extremely popular hike, and for very good reason. The hike itself offers breathtaking views of the San Diego River Gorge and surrounding mountains, and the destination is an idyllic swimming hole at the base of an 80 foot waterfall. As there’s a considerable lack of freshwater playgrounds in San Diego, its easy to see why this uniquely beautiful spot gets so much attention. The drawback, however, is you will likely have to share this gem with others during your visit, especially if you go on a weekend. The swimming hole is often erroneously referred to as the Devil’s Punchbowl. The real Devil’s Punchbowl lies to the east on private property along Boulder Creek. Continue reading Cedar Creek Falls (via Ramona)→
Located in Ramona, Barnett Ranch is 728 acre Preserve purchased by the county in 2002. The Preserve contains a variety of habitats including riparian forest, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and non-native grassland. The Preserve contains 2 formal trails: The Valley View Trail and the Rattlesnake Trail (trail map). Continue reading Barnett Ranch Preserve→
