Guides
Stellar views and a variety of terrain in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Want to see some of the best that Cuyamaca Rancho State Park has to offer? Hike up Stonewall Peak and enjoy the view of the surrounding park and nearby Lake Cuyamaca. The hike up the east side is a popular and relatively easy trail. The elevation gain is about 1000 feet, but doesn't seem like it with lots of switchbacks surrounded by Cuyamaca's characteristic...
A 6.7 mile loop trail around a small lake near Mount Laguna, California only 1 hour east of San Diego.
Big Laguna Lake Loop is about 6.7 miles long and located near Mount Laguna, California. The trail is great for hiking and normally takes a half day. Mount Laguna recreation area is a great place to visit the snow! There are tons of great trails in the area, including the Pacific Crest Trail. Keep in mind that if you are going to park anywhere in...
Trips
See more pictures of this hike here: http://amyandxavier.smugmug.com/gallery/7963936_iLkGp#517228557_jbP8UThis hike is hidden on the outskirts of the Clevelend National Forest. The drive out there is a little rough because it is way off the highway on a narrow and partly unpaved road. From Escondido we took the 78 East into Ramona and followed it till we almost reached Julian, then we turned right on Pine Hills Rd. After a mile and a half...
Cuyamaca Peak - via Azalea Loop Trail
Cuyamaca (historical), California, United States
Hiking | 7.5 miles
Hiking | 7.5 miles
Great, mildly wintery day to hike Stonewall Peak. Today was one of my volunteer roves in Cuyamaca, and my hiking partner and I decided to see how many "contacts" we could make. We spoke to around 35 people on the way up and around the peak. Plenty of folks out enjoying (my idea of) perfect hiking weather. Parts of the trail were snow covered, parts mud bogs, but it was an interesting...
John, Ade and I hiked the West Mesa Loop Trail with a stop at the Airplane Monument. Saw some game today: some wild turkeys, a deer and a few rabbits. Still lots of flowers blooming at this elevation. Nice hike.
A day hike form Sweetwater River Bridge on Rt 79 clockwise around the Loop to the Airplane Monument and back. Couldn't have been a nicer day; sunny, cool and a slight breeze. Views from the high points on the Western facing part of the trail were spectacular. The wild flowers were out in force and the perfume from the ceanothus was wonderful. Saw a few birds and squirrels but other than that...
Just so the rest of the country wouldn't feel so bad about their weather, we ventured into the elements in the wilds of San Diego County. To tell the truth, it was darn uncomfortable on the top of Oakzanita Peak. The temperature was just above freezing and the wind was gusting to about 40 MPH. I was thankful that I put on some long johns under my jeans. Aside from that, it...
Volunteer hike for CRSP. Beautiful day to hike, sunny and just enough of a breeze to make it occasionally cool and always interesting. Very green and lush in the park right now, and all the creeks are as full as I've seen them. It's a wonderful time right now to visit and hike.
A volunteer hike in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Beautiful day...sunny and clear. We could see both the ocean from the midpoint of the hike on Harvery Moore Trail, and snowcapped mountains (that we couldn't agree on) to the north. No wildlife to speak of, but plenty of tracks and scat around.
A volunteer hike for CRSP. SUPER windy up there, so we tried to choose a trail that wouldn't have wobbly dead trees and that would be mostly sheltered from the screamingly strong northeast wind. We chose wisely, it turned out to be a thoroughly pleasant hike.
East Mesa - Cuyamaca Rancho State Park 2
Cuyamaca (historical), California, United States
Hiking | 6.0 miles
Hiking | 6.0 miles
A volunteeer hike for CRSP.
An early morning trip around the East Mesa, a volunteer hike for CRSP. It got hot FAST. Saw some little critters, quail, turkey tracks and one coyote.
Cold Stream to Cold Spring, CRSP
Cuyamaca (historical), California, United States
Hiking | 5.4 miles
Hiking | 5.4 miles
I loved this hike, even though it was 38 degrees and hailing most of the way. Cold Stream is a beautiful trail, and the wildflowers are still blooming like crazy. The hike: from the Visitor's Center/Dyar parking, take Cold Stream north to Cold Spring northeast, to Stonewall Creek Fire Road south, to Harvey Moore south, across a beautiful meadow to East Side trail south, crossing Harper's Creek, then back on Cold Stream...
Great day, wonderful company and some good exercise. We started at tne Cuymaca Park Nature School and made the loop from Harvey Moore to Dyar Springs to Granite Springs. Got some pictures of a small herd of deer including a buck with a nice rack. Some of the guys saw a bobcat, but Mr. Photo missed it. Still quite a bit of water in the creeks, nice to see for a change....
Went camping at Paso Picacho, set off on a hike in the chilly morning to warm up.
Volunteer hike. Chilly, foggy, drizzly, then started really raining
right at the end. Still some patches of snow around, but not much. You
can really see the fire devastation down the back side of Stonewall Peak
and along Cold Stream. Wildlife must have been (wisely) staying dry, we
only saw one (1) deer.
A volunteer hike for CRSP, the Azalea Loop Trail was surprisingly lush and verdant. The Azaleas were blooming along the trail next to the spring, but they don't look like they'll last for long. No matter, plenty of other wildflowers still blooming along the trail, with butterflies, bees and birds happily playing among them. Just about a perfect hike.
Lazy and easy hike to the this rocky top (4730 ft elevation) Lots of spectacular vistas and photo opportunities.
