Hot Springs Mountain – the Highest Point in San Diego County – 4 of 6

May 17, 2021

I haven't been back to this area since college – last time we were there, we stayed at the Los Coyotes campground for one of our stargazing camping trip.  Good times! ??

Check out the Los Coyotes Reservation website for more info on Hot Springs Mountain before you go.  It now has a new option to pre-purchase your hiking permit online. Their FB page has great info about the latest happenings.

We started the hike at the campground where the parking and TH are located. The first half of the hike took us up a steep, wide and well maintained fire road with ~1,400′ ft of elevation gain in the first 2.6 miles. This was a good calf burner that woke me right up after a high alert, tiring drive through dense fog and winding roads. The fog burned off about a mile in – great excuse to take a short break, shed some layers, and take in the views.  Once we reached the Hot Springs Mountain Trail junction, things mellowed out for the second half of the hike to the summit. The landscape also changed drastically as we reached the tree line and found ourselves hiking through the conifers. I particularly enjoyed this section – I miss the trees and forests I grew up with.

We spent some time at the top checking out the ruins of the old fire lookout tower (no climbing) before hiking the last 1/4 mile to the official summit. There is a ladder and rope system to help you climb to the top of the large summit boulder.  We decided to hike back down to the tower area for a long snack break before heading back out.

I really enjoyed this hike and appreciated the solitude – we only saw one other hiker the entire morning.  I will definitely be back!  Looking forward to checking out the two connected new trails that opened in November 2021 – this would make a great extended loop to the summit.

Bonus: Saw a bunch of PCT hikers in Warner Springs on the way back.  Some day…