Kwaay Paay Peak in Mission Trails Regional Park doesn’t receive nearly the amount of traffic that its more popular neighbor Cowles Mountain does. This makes it a great alternative for hikers looking for a quick mountain climbing workout but who don’t want to contend with an overcrowded trail and a dearth of parking. Kwaay Paay is somewhat shorter and not quite as tall as Cowles, but in my opinion actually makes for a more intense workout since it lacks the gentle switchbacks of its nearby cousin. Continue reading Kwaay Paay Peak (Mission Trails Regional Park)→
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→
Heller’s Bend is a 48 acre preserve owned and managed by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy. The FLC was founded in 1988 by local residents to preserve the natural beauty and enhance the rural character of the Fallbrook community. While the Fallbrook area has undergone considerable development since 1988, thanks to the FLC areas like Heller’s Bend Preserve have been set aside for our enjoyment. Continue reading Heller’s Bend Preserve→
East Shepherd Canyon is another one of San Diego’s many neighborhood canyon areas that helps maintain a touch of nature in our otherwise urban and suburban neighborhoods. Unlike many hikes in San Diego, however, East Shepherd Canyon has the unique advantage of being fairly well shaded for much of the route. A short, tree-lined hike sounded perfect for one of our monsters, so we were joined by the ever-handsome Apollo. Continue reading East Shepherd Canyon→
Los Jilgueros is a small, yet very scenic Preserve located on the south side of Fallbrook. Nestled in between a busy road and residential developments lies a small network of trails which will take you by ponds, freshwater marshland, and grassy fields. The Preserve is owned and maintained by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy who has done an amazing job preserving and protecting native habitat in North County. Continue reading Los Jilgueros Preserve→
Black Mountain is a relatively small yet scenic peak in the Rancho Penasquitos area. It’s antenna clad crest stands out prominently amid its lower lying surroundings, and can be easily seen and identified from other nearby San Diego peaks like Mt. Woodson and Iron Mountain. Continue reading Black Mountain via The Nighthawk Trail→
Anza-Borrego contains a plethora of fascinating archaeological sites. Over 50 Native American rock art sites have been discovered in the park, many of which are relatively easily accessible to the public. While many parks have had to close off or not publicly disclose the location of pictographs like these for fear of vandals defacing the historical sites, this trail leads you right up to the fragile artwork. And if the unique privilege of seeing such a rare artifact doesn’t sell you on this hike, then perhaps the beautiful views from the dry fall at the end of Smuggler Canyon will convince you! Continue reading Pictograph Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)→
Rancho Mission Canyon is one of San Diego’s many little neighborhood open space canyons that provides a small swath of natural space within our urban landscape. The nearby Mission Trails Regional Park draws most of the crowds, so you’ll likely have some quiet solitude in which to enjoy the chaparral covered hillsides and chirping birds. Continue reading Rancho Mission Canyon→
Snow in San Diego county is a pretty special event… when there’s snow on a day I don’t have to work? That’s some serious planetary alignment going on right there. You can bet we took advantage of this New Year’s snow storm to go for a hike.
So this morning we headed out to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. We didn’t really have a detailed plan formed, as we weren’t sure what conditions would be like or how crowded everything would be. Upon our arrival, we found the Sweetwater trail head wasn’t terribly crowded (although there were definitely more people there than usual). We decided we’d cross the highway and hike down the West Side trail to Green Valley Falls and come back. Continue reading Snow Day! Green Valley Falls (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park)→
Ghost Mountain is a small and unassuming promontory along the southern edge of Blair Valley. At first glance, the peak doesn’t seem particularly noteworthy, but for 16 years in the 1930’s and 40’s, it was the home of author Marshal South and his family.
During the Great Depression, South and his wife Tanya built their home atop Ghost Mountain. They called their homestead “Yaquitepec,” or “House of the Sun,” and lived there for nearly two decades. They raised three children in their desert sanctuary, making their living by writing articles for Desert Magazine and hauling everything they needed to survive up the nearly 1-mile trail we were about to ascend. Continue reading Ghost Mountain/Marshal South Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)→
