#2. Hot Springs Mountain

This was a beautiful hike on the Los Coyotes Reservation. I arrived at 8am and the ranger station was closed. I was able to leave my information and payment in an envelope dropped in the mail slot ($10 cash only). I recommend bringing a pen to fill out your envelope in case the ranger station is empty. There are two trails accessible from the main parking lot. Take the one to the left as you come in to stay on the Hot Springs Mountain Trail. I enjoyed total solitude on my hike and didn’t see anyone at all. The bugs, however, were a different story. Wear a bug net and thank me later. Aside from the bugs, the hike was beautiful! Fall foliage had started to change color and I had sweeping vistas of orange and yellow throughout much of the hike. The trail was also very easy to follow as it’s primarily a wide fire road throughout the entire way. I had a little difficulty finding my way through the trees for the last 500 feet after the clearing with the fire tower, but there are ribbons tied to branches to guide the way. The ladder and ropes to the top of the official summit block look like they’ve seen better days, but it was an easy climb. Overall, I really enjoyed the hike, and I’m looking forward to my next one!