Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.
San Bernardino Peak Trail. There is no water available along the hike route, so be sure to pack plenty. Challenging but doable. 4 stars cuz it was really beautiful but it was extremmmmmmely windy.... like gusts of 80 mph winds windy... which made it freeezinnnng cold!!!! A little hard on the feet because you walk on a paved road most of the way, but there’s still small patches of snow and the views are incredible. To access it from the city of Alpine take the Tavern Rd exit off 1-8 fwy. The trail is now as easy to follow as some of the established trails in the west half of the county. BUT any other non windy cold day this hike was awesome! The upper reaches of King Creek is the only known habitat of the Cuyamaca Cypress. About 8 inches with terrible visibility at the top, but great hike. This review is the subjective opinion of … I was concerned about the amount of snow they might have on the hill given the recent storm. It’s always a good idea to have proper footwear for your activity of choice. There was still some snow which was fun for our dog. Great views, cool smooth trail. The hike to Cuyamaca Peak brings you to San Diego County’s second highest point at 6,512 feet. Started at 6:30am and took 2:15 hours to get to the top. Cuyamaca Peak Loop Trail. The other half was just on snow that was a little below the knee. It follows a ridge line more or less, and has a step like pattern to the ascent, with a steep climb followed by a flat section, another climb with a flat, and then the final climb to the last flat section. The incline never gets too steep and the trail remains single track almost the entire way up the hill despite the name “fire road.” It isn’t till the last 0.5 miles that you reach a paved and steep fire road to the top. Great hike, will do again. (Took some of my time up for sure). Soon afterwards, you will meet the line of electric poles again, and a fence/gate type structure that is the border between Cleveland National Forest and Rancho Cuyamaca State Park. I wanted something up in the mountains and a decent hike so Cuyamaca Peak (W6/CC-014 - Cuyamaca Peak) was the mission. Most spectacular, is the view of the remaining 900ft of mountain going up to the peak. Love this trail for the variety and views. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Wear layers and bring gloves! An Adventure Pass is needed for parking, as it is in the Cleveland National Forest. Hike is all on a paved road. And boy do I have a loop trail for you. Lots of brambles and trees weighed down by snow blocking the path but Beautiful and well worth it. :(. Did not need spikes. But I would rate this moderate. Paved the whole way. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park charges a day-use fee of $10/vehicle. Ran into 3 skunks on the way up, so make sure to watch the surroundings. You can pay the $10 parking fee with the app. Hardest part by far is the paved road at top. Wonderful hike. It was in the 40°s F the entire day with a wind chill around 35° possibly lower. On a clear day, you can see for 100 miles from the summit, including the Coronado Islands and Table Top Mountain in Mexico. Dress warm, it gets freezing the higher you go up. Probably about 3.25 miles in you reach vast meadow with open golden grass. San Bernardino Peak Trail. It was very cold as we neared the peak- there was still snow from the previous storm. Why you should go: A highly accessible trail offering an invigorating climb and … Beautiful hike with some slight overgrowth during the single tracks so definitely wear pants. Cuyamaca Peak Loop Trail (Descanso) Cuyumaca peak in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, California is a great day hike with great views at the summit. I didn’t want to be in deep snow but a light amount would be OK. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. Many hikers stopped at the end of the road and did not scramble up to the actual peak. Horses are also able to use this trail. Views from the top are impressive. This excursion to the top of the Cuyamaca Peek has many trails from which to choose. Great trail. Ask SoCalAdventureSeeker about Cuyamaca Rancho State Park . Amazing! Although the walk up is on a paved road, it is an unrelenting 2.5 miles uphill. What to Wear Hiking in San Diego? Started at 8am. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from October until June. I really wanted to do this as a double with Cuyamaca peak but Cuyamaca is closed during a bunch of construction so we decided to just hit Stonewall. Strawberry Peak: 7.2 mi 1,788 ft ele gn Mt. turn left on Victoria go up the hill over the fwy about 1.3 miles turn left on Anderson Rd. The park features nearly twenty-five miles of hiking trails and a peak similar to other peaks such as Cowle’s Mountain. We initially hiked the 5.6-mile West side approach and had to step aside for a lot of trucks driving up and down the fire road. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/middle-peak-loop-trail I wish I had worn two layers of pants. It was nice but a lot of poison oak. This is definitely not “hard.” More like easy or moderate. We didn’t do the normal loop to the bottom because we were extremely cold and could barely think so we just took the same trail back down the mountain. Overall the wind added for much more of a challenge but kept the hike interesting. Not too hard either, steady incline. The trail is primarily used for hiking and running and is accessible year-round. Vote. Tons of snow last Saturday! These hikers appear to have established a rather absurd amount of cairns while beating in the easily identifiable trail. Loose snow, muddy and rocky all the way up to the summit (~5mi). Baden-Powell: 8.9 mi 2,788 ft ele gn El Cajon: 11.3 mi 3,576 ft ele gn Sawmill: 10.3 mi 2,001 ft ele gn Mt. Escondido, CA - 5 miles, Moderate Cedar Creek Falls Trail Guide The wind added an extra challenge throughout the mountainside’s clearing and ridge lines. Fire trail side kicked our butts. Took 4L of water and that was more than enough. Trail is not well marked after the junction to Cuyamaca peak, so watch where you are going. I have these things called Yaktrax that give you extra traction if needed. Somehow forgot to turn off the recorder. Torrey Pines is a popular destination, and eight separate trails … Road was clear but snow from the TH. Located inside Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, the Middle Peak Loop Trail is a moderate six-mile hike that is a joy to discover. This is especially true when hiking because of the varying terrain. But if you venture a little farther (7.5 miles total) and do the Murray Peak hike, you’ll leave the big crowds behind and get a taste of the raw beauty of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Today’s mission was to summit Stonewall Peak and collect a few SOTA points. The views on the way up and at the top were beautiful. Watch out for bees, there is a part of the trail (~6th-7th km) that was just full of them.
Peak Summited: 2021 Cuyamaca Peak: Type of Hike: Day hike: Trailhead: Azalea Glen: Encountered: Wildflowers blooming: Road Conditions: Road suitable for all vehicles: Bug Status: No bugs: Snow Conditions: Intermittent snow - not hard to cross: Trail Conditions: Minor obstacles posing few problems: Additional Information See 'Getting There' for directions. Very fun, ice and snow was stable in am. Be careful of slick ice in the shade! Green Valley Campland was closed today. Hike Cuyamaca Peak. Ours trail begins on the south Azalea Glen Loop. There’s a small little rock scramble at the top that goes through some trees if you want to get closer to the tower and find the plaque with the trail name for pics. The initial part of the hike is a gradual incline with some semi-steep ridges that you climb. Vote. Cuyamaca Peak via Arroyo Secco and West Mesa Trail. A turn out on the right side of the road. If you by any chance see this and find it my number is 16192449913, Went to Cayumaca Peak from the campground and took Conejos/Azalea Glen back. You'll see everything from deer, wild turkey, an abandoned gold mine, and of course Lake Cuyamaca.. This area has many pine trees, and seems like an oasis after the walk up. User account menu. Cuyamaca Peak from Paso Picacho Campground via Lookout Road is a 5.5 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Julian, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Distance: 12.6 miles Elevation gain/loss: 2631 ft / 2311 ft Moving time: 4:50 Moving speed: 2.6 mph Great long looping hike to Cuyamaca Peak (6512 ft) and Japacha Peak (5825 ft) in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. So grab your hiking shoes and get ready to go! 2018-03-24 Cuyamaca Peak and Uruguay Today’s objective was a mountain over by Cuyamaca Lake in the Laguna mountains, “ W6/CC-014 - Cuyamaca Peak “. We only did 5 miles but it was absolutely breathtaking. The views are great and you can see Lake Cuyamaca, the Lagunas to the East, and San Diego to the West. I have these things called Yaktrax that give you extra traction if needed. As you near the top, you enter a more wooded area that is quite pleasant and beautiful. We ended up driving a little further down the road to start at West Mesa Trail to connect to Arroyo Seco. Lots of snow. googlemaps/phuoc le. We took the loop coun… From San Diego take Interstate 8 east to 79/Japatul Road Exit. Amazing views from the summit but note the marker is to the right and up a scramble of the cell tower. More information: Trip descriptions here and here; AllTrails report here; Rating: 8; Here’s a hike that is impossible not to enjoy: a tour of the East Mesa region of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park with panoramic views, alpine meadows, trickling streams and shaded canyons. At around the 5400ft mark, on the right side of the trail as you are going up, are a few Cuyamaca Cypress trees right next o the trail. Regret not wearing pants as some short bushes were taking over the trail and scrapped my shins pretty good. Camping and Cleveland National Forest Information can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=110502&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Cleveland%20National%20Forest-%20Home
TIPS: $8 parking fee for day-use parking. Lightly traveled and rugged ridgeback with splendid pine forest views to the west. The views on the way up and at the top were beautiful. One wouldn’t move so I had to go up and around it. Saw one biker going up, until I hit the pavement, and only 6 people going down (2 runners, 1 biker, and 3 hikers). High wind advisory: 25-35 mph winds with gusts of 60mph and isolated gusts of 80mph. Beautiful. Geologically, Black Mountain is part of an area called the Poway Quadrant. Found where the Station benchmark used to be which is now just the stem with a cross cut. I started just after six. It took us two attempts to get to the top of Cuyamaca Peak as there is currently some construction going on (as of late July 2020). Google Earth co-ordinates are ( 32.925874n 116.630583w ). The Middle Peak Loop Trail is located in the town of Julian and can be reached by heading to 14592-14674 CA-79, Julian, CA 92036. As you get to Burnt Pine Fire Rd the terrain becomes tall manzanita that gives you head coverage, and the pine trees become more forested towards the top of the mountain.
Most were wiped out by wildfires in close succession (2003 and 2007), which did not allow the seed pods to mature before the second fire, thus breaking the cycle of the tree. There is also Cuyamaca lake and Stonewall peak and mine which we will come back to check out. Beautiful! Posted by just now. Cuyamaca Peak via Arroyo Secco and West Mesa Trail is a 22.7 kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail located near Descanso, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Cuyamaca Peak from Paso Picacho Campground via Lookout Road is a 8.9 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Julian, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. It is about this point that pine trees appear also. 5hrs 18mins total. Once sun got on it started to post hole. 14 reviews of Viejas Mountain "This is an absolutely beautiful peak hike though strenuous because of the vertical lack of switch backs. Drive east on Alpine Blvd. From the Paso Picacho campground we went up to Cuyamaca Peak on the Fire Lookout Road. Built up to ~5 inches as we went up. Contour maps are a composite of the Tule Springs and Cuyamaca Peak quadrant maps from the USGS available at http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/
No comments/updates on AllTrails and nothing on IG either. Pretty steep on the way up. 2018-03-24 Cuyamaca Peak and Uruguay Today’s objective was a mountain over by Cuyamaca Lake in the Laguna mountains, “ W6/CC-014 - Cuyamaca Peak “. Still amazing views at the top. It’s a bummer they couldn’t come up with a way to allow the public to enjoy the summit of Cuyamaca; I’m with Jake and will just blame it on the lawyers. SO GORGEOUS IN THE SNOW! Patches of snow, no micro spikes needed. The Cuyamaca Peak Loop trail offers a picturesque view from the top of Cuyamaca Peak, the second highest point in San Diego. Remote camping is allowed on the Cleveland National Forest side, but a free permit must be obtained at the Ranger Station. I was staring at the ground for too long and accidentally continued two miles extra on the West Mesa trail and had to double back to the Burnt Pine junction. The lower area badly damaged by wildfire. It was very difficult to hike on the snow but the view was soooo worth it. The Green Valley Campground is still closed. Way back down was miserable and hot and I hated it. A nice easy hike up until the blustery finish, very windy. One of the more aggressive hikes in the park with steady climbing and respectable total distance. Would definitely rate as moderate and good for all skill levels. Bring water and sunscreen. Photo: Travis Rigel Lukas Hornung Why you should go: A grand view from mountain to ocean from the top of San Diego’s second-highest peak. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/stonewall-peak Lots of snow that was melting in the sun today. You have a moderate climb that provides spectacular views of the valley and then the final summit, where you get sweeping views of high peaks like El Cajon and Cuyamaca Peak. Will be back! We saw mountain lion footprints in the snow. Took 2 liters of water, maybe drank 1 liter total and had a simple protein bar at the top. Cuyamaca Peak from Paso Picacho Campground via Lookout Road, http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=110502&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Cleveland%20National%20Forest-%20Home. The area is managed by the City of San Diego and is open every day from dawn to dusk. Missed some views because it was a cloudy day, but still a beautiful hike and glad to not deal with the heat and sun, which would be bad on this hike. Thank SoCalAdventureSeeker . Definitely the nicest one to the peak. Great hike! There’s also three main terrains you pass through which keep the hike interesting! Campfires are not allowed, and cooking with stoves is allowed seasonally. Views can be had from the open area just inside the state park, and also from a bit south of the trail. It’s only 20 feet lower than the highest peak, but much easier to hike. Close. I really wanted to do this as a double with Cuyamaca peak but Cuyamaca is closed during a bunch of construction so we decided to just hit Stonewall. Definitely would rate this as moderate and not difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. No need for traction or floatation, but I have a feeling that will change with the next storms. But lots of snow, ice, slush, and mud on Azalea Glen. Cuyamaca Peak via Arroyo Secco and West Mesa Trail is a 14.1 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Descanso, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. You go under the bridge and head to the campground area until you see the trail signs you need. Took a short detour to also summit El Capitan Peak. Be prepared in no hiking shoes. Murray Peak Hike (Palm Springs) Most hikes in the Palm Springs area are up and down desert tracks in the foothills. Cuyamaca peak and Milk Ranch Road/Sill Hill trails are similar and provide different things to see. Hardest part was definitely the paved road, rest was pretty easy (for me). The most popular hikes start from this camp, including the 2 mile hike up Stonewall Peak (elevation 5,700 feet), and the 3.5 mile hike up Cuyamaca Peak (elevation 6,512 feet), both which offer breathtaking views of the deserts to the east, the coast to the west, and Lake Cuyamaca at the bottom. We parked at SWEETWATER trailhead and crossed the 79 HWY to begin. This is the eastside of Cuyamaca Mountain. Very few people. This area is called the King Creek Special Study Area, designated due to the existence of these Cypress trees. Length 7.7 miElevation gain 1,833 ftRoute type Loop Passed a single hiker on the way up, met someone at the peak that took the other trail there and in the way day crossed a couple that was heading up. Distance: 6 miles Elevation Gain: 1,610 feet Difficulty: Moderate If Cowles Mountain is too crowded for your liking, head out to Cuyamaca Peak. Wilson: 14.9 mi 5,600 ft ele gn Sitton Peak: 10 mi 2,083 ft ele gn • • • • It’s a bummer they couldn’t come up with a way to allow the public to enjoy the summit of Cuyamaca; I’m with Jake and will just blame it on the lawyers. A light amount would be OK ft ele gn Mt absurd amount of snow might! Signs you need near San Diego to the East, and of course Lake,... The initial part of the vertical lack of switch backs ( W6/CC-014 - Cuyamaca Peak and a! Not sure if it is in areas of low, knee high brush, cooking. Gold mine, and cooking with stoves is allowed seasonally you have many such. Golden grass more like easy or moderate head to the East, Stonewall! So make sure to watch the surroundings walk up is on a paved road at top please. Alpine take the trail is not well marked after the walk up turn left on Anderson Rd is Cuyamaca! 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