Oak Grove Trail to High Point (Palomar Mountain) – 3 of 6

May 10, 2021

Another cool, foggy, misty start – perfect moody weather! Followed the TH sign at the end of the Oak Grove fire station parking lot. The Oak Grove Trail didn't officially start for another ~half mile.  We had to navigate through the sandy paths of a residential area before reaching the official TH.  Once on the official Oak Grove Trail, we started climbing quickly up the side of the mountain through a series of switchbacks. It didn't take long to break through the cloud cover, revealing expansive views of the surrounding mountains swimming in a sea of clouds. This section was easily my favorite! The steep, narrow, rocky trail eventually ended as it tee'd out onto a fire road.

The remainder of the hike had us following a couple of dirt truck roads up to the summit – easily navigated, wide dirt paths with stunning views.  There were a few sections that dipped through shaded Oak Groves that satisfied my need for a tree fix. 🙂  The swarming bugs were out and about but receded quickly as soon as we were through the oaks section.

The ranger on duty at the Fire Lookout tower on the summit was really friendly and helped us locate the USGS marker that was eluding us once again! It was also fun for this space nerd to catch a glimpse of the Palomar Observatory in the distance – perfect spot for a lunch break.

First time doing this hike – I'll definitely be back.

Note: I finally got to break in my new 2021-2022 America the Beautiful pass – needed at the TH parking lot since it's on National Forest land (or you can use a NF Adventure Pass instead). ICYMI: REI also sells the pass and will donate 10% of the proceeds to the National Park Foundation.