I can't believe that after 20+ years of hiking around San Diego I have never heard of this beautiful gem of a hike. It's a bit out of the way but well worth the trip.

As other folks have reported, the last couple miles of road to the trail head are unpaved and in somewhat rough condition. In my VW Beetle I had to take it real slow so that I could avoid all the potholes, but it was doable. At some point there was a flock of wild turkeys in the middle of the road 🙂

The first part of the hike goes through a wooded area which was lush green at this time of year. After that, it's mostly open chaparral with few more wooded stretches once you get into the higher altitudes. For the most part the trail is easy going, with only a few sections of mild rock scrambling.

The weather was extremely varied that day, depending on whether or not the sun was behind a cloud cover. My thermometer showed temperatures between high 50s and low 80s. As so often, once I got close to the summit it got very windy.

The summit itself is just a rocky area with no reachable “highest point”. It took me a while to find the hiker box and summit sign, but I eventually located it on a south-facing rock ledge.

All in all, a beautiful hike that's easy on the elevation gain.