Volcan Mountain is one of my most favorite hikes in San Diego County.  I took advantage of the Martin Luther King Jr holiday to hike this on an early Monday morning. We started at 7:30am and were part of only a handful of early morning hikers. The parking at the trailhead is somewhat limited as it is just street parking. When we came down there were about 20 more vehicles parked along the side of the road. The entrance to the trailhead is adorned by a beautiful wrought-iron sculpture that acts as the gateway to the trail. The path is fairly wide all the way to the top. There is a single-track spur part way up that meanders among the oak and manzanita. There are a few benches along that path the offer good places rest and a moment to take in the views. I recommend doing this on the way down. The trail is shaded on the lower half. The manzanita was beautiful and in full bloom. The trail is exposed near the top and in January the wind was cold. I recommend a wind breaker of some kind and a beanie. The views into the desert to the east and the coast to the west were spectacular. It's nice to finish the hike with a hot coffee and/or piece of pie from the little town of Julian. Ps. Dog friendly as well.