Cuyamaca Rancho State Park has a wonderful system of interconnected trails and fire roads, and we always enjoy cobbling together a new route and exploring sections of trail we haven’t been on before. This 10 mile loop combines the Dead Horse Trail, California Riding and Hiking Trail, South Boundary Fire Road, Blue Ribbon Trail, and Merigan Fire Road for a fun hike with a variety of scenery. Continue reading Dead Horse Trail/Blue Ribbon Trail Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
Category Archives: Sweetwater River
Morrison Pond
Sweetwater Regional Park in Bonita has an extensive network of trails along the Sweetwater River. While much of those trails are adjacent to roadways, this short loop around Morrison Pond provides a slightly more quiet and secluded spot to enjoy nature and watch the birds. There are plenty of options for extending your hike along some of the connecting paths if you’re so inclined, but even this little loop can make an enjoyable excursion. Continue reading Morrison Pond
Dyar Spring/Juaquapin Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is home to an extensive network of trails that can be cobbled together into any number of different hikes. This loop combines several of those trails (Harvey Moore, Dyar Spring, Juaquapin, and the East Side Trail) to visit a variety of different habitats including chaparral hillsides, grassy meadows, and riparian stream sides. There is plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife as well – turkey and deer are quite common, and the occasional coyote might be spotted if you’re quiet. Continue reading Dyar Spring/Juaquapin Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
San Diego National Wildlife Refuge – Par 4 Trail
Although we’ve been frequent visitors to the western portion of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Rancho San Diego, we’d never managed to make it over to the eastern side. In fact, for many years we had no idea there was another part of the refuge, as the main trailhead to the area lies a the end of a remote suburban cul-de-sac.
The Par 4 trailhead leads to a nice little loop trail that runs along the Sweetwater River near the Cottonwood Golf Course and along the hills just north of Steele Canyon High School. There’s a network of use trails running through the area so you can do some exploring. We ended up doing something of a figure-8 loop that seemed to incorporate most of the highlights of the area. Continue reading San Diego National Wildlife Refuge – Par 4 Trail
Airplane Monument & Arroyo Seco Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
On December 7, 1922, a twin-seat model biplane carrying Col. F.C. Marshall and Lt. C.L. Webber crashed into a ridge near Cuyamaca Peak. Despite extensive searches, the wreckage and pilots’ remains weren’t discovered until May the following year. A monument to the two men was built and today is an interesting bit of history residing in the western portion of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Continue reading Airplane Monument & Arroyo Seco Loop (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)
Sloan Canyon
Ever since we had hiked Sycuan Peak last fall we’d been eager to get back out and experience some more of the rugged beauty of Jamul. The California Riding & Hiking Trail (CR&HT), the incomplete and non-contiguous statewide trail system, runs through the area. We decided to check out this short stretch that runs down into Sloan Canyon and crosses the Sweetwater River just downstream of Loveland Reservoir. Continue reading Sloan Canyon