Tag: El Cajon Mountain

Is this the hardest trail in San Diego? I haven’t been in San Diego for that long but it’s definately the hardest trial I’ve been…

El Cap

After having already done Hot Springs Mountain, Mt. Volcan, Cuyamaca Peak, and Mt. Woodson, I thought I was ready for “El Capitan”. Though I finished…

Freaking finally! I had summitted three times prior- last successful summit was July 4- and during my attempt before this one, on February 14, I…

This hike is considered “the hardest hike in San Diego” and I absolutely agree! It is important to do your research for this one. For…

Generally overcast weather with cool breeze all throughout…made for a perfect day to hike this beast!

The majority of the trail is well maintained. Beautiful wildflowers along the entire trail.  Parking area gate is locked at 7:30 PM.  Would not recommend…

6/7/2021. Hiked again with a friend to complete her SD 6PoP. We’ve been waiting for a weathet like today; overcast, dry but with cool breeze……

We started early so the dark and misty cloud cover made for a great almost half of the hike. We only saw a couple of…

This was a really tough hike. I brought water, but most of it in the car (bad decision). There are inclines going both ways and…

Of the day we choose to hike this peak it just happened to be a hot day. The sun was on us the entire time,…

El Cajon! Beast of a hike. Started at about 7:00, and we finished just after noon. Overcast on the ascent but a beautiful view once…

The steep declines following the long inclines is what really makes this trail a monster. You don’t get the relief of knowing that “at least…

Such a monster of a trail!!! … Last year completed this one in the rain so today’s 58 to 70° weather was perfect! Got a…

I love the challenge but this kicked my rear. So worth it, though. Glad to get this done! 6 of 6 ????

El Cajon mountain trail (11.3mile..yes you read it right..) is 7 hours round trip. It’s long, punishing, and relentlessly steep from start to finish. Definitely…

Tough hike, but beautiful views.

One of the hardest of the San Diego Six-pack challenge. Luckily weather was cool and overcast with some mist at the peak.  

This was a great hike. Very, very difficult though. I loved the trail towards the end, felt like I was hiking through the jungle, minus…

Took us 8 hours with a bunch of teenagers. Needed 3 liters+ of water each! Sore for a few days. It was great!

I forgot how tough this one is. Seriously uphill both ways. But so much fun. Great challenge and beautiful views from the top. Everyone I…

This hike is just a butt kicker both ways!  The marine layer was great on the start, which at 05:45 was already pretty crowded.  But…

We arrived at approximately 5:45 a.m. in order to beat the heat as we are familiar with this hike! The parking lot doesn’t open until…

This hike was an afternoon hike, partly because I didn’t want to get up early and partly because I wanted to use this hike also…

Quick hike up El Cajon.  Not too many people on the hike.

The most perfect weather today for El Cajon Mtn hike!

this is the Most difficult out of 6 peaks in SD.  I love the challenge.

Beautiful blue skies, some clouds – perfect weather, high 60’s – not crowded – rough terrain, but much better than times before (it’s been smoothed…

Attacked the Beast one more time. This time with my son and dog. The weather was good for the hike. Once again the Beast did…

It was a nice up to El Cajon Mountain. I started at 520 am and finished around 10:00am. I would highly recommend starting early as…

Sun-kissed and a gentle breeze fanned the whole way, a perfect spring day out there. They’re not kidding it’s uphill both ways. And wild lilac…

It was a great evening to hike El Cajon Mountain.  I hiked it with a friend and it was a nice way to spend the…

It was a nice and cool day.

Weather was pretty good. Nice breeze most of the day.

When you run into a random trail runner who asks “Excuse me, do you know what all this craziness is?” you realize you may have…

I love to hate this trail. It’s both satisfying to get to the peak as it is to get to your car! Boomerang trail! Good…

The views were awesome throughout and our motivator to finish were the views of Barona Casino where we’d wind down and have lunch after lol.…

I started the hike at 7am. I knew it was going to be in the 80s and there was no shade. The inclines are up…

What a doozy this hike is.  Literally up hill both ways!  Kicked my butt but I did it!

Very rocky.  Uphill both ways. Lots of bees. Hot with little shade

Uphill. Bees. Hot.

We started at 6am & headlamps were needed to get to get to the trailhead.  Temperature was cold at 38 degrees, so dress in layers…

Wow is all I can say. This was one mother of a hike. All the hype about this being the toughest hike in SD is…

I was pretty confident in my hiking abilities until I climbed this beast, lol. The incline is so steep in many places, I had to…

I thought the climb was awesome! My group – not so much lol! I only regret that I FORGOT MY HIKING SHOES and had to…

Hiking El Cajon after the Thursday rains provided the perfect condition. Take the reviews and comments seriously. This was by far one of the hardest…

Whew!!! That was a tough one for sure. Lots of ups and down. Going down the mountain was just as challenging physically, mentally, and cardiovascular…

That was by far the most challenging hike I’ve ever done. I honestly don’t understand how so much of the hike back is uphill when…

Perfect weather and could not imagine doing this with warmer temps. Extremely challenging but I did it!!!

They weren’t lying when they said this is the toughest hike in SD! Lots of steep inclines BOTH, I repeat BOTH ways! This trail is…

The day was cool and cloudy with a high of low 70s. The cool weather was a huge benefit when hiking this open trail. There…

This was my first time as well as all my friends that hiked with me, on this trail. We didn’t know what to expect other…

No Excuses! I hiked with a friend that is 75 and had pacemaker surgery 5 weeks ago. He made it to the peak, you can…

HARDEST HIKE EVER!!! Toughest peak in San Diego!!! Uphill both ways!!! My first time here and will definitely not come back anytime soon or will…

Great weather

Generally overcast with a light chance of rain according to the forecast. When we started the hike we thought the same thing will happen as…

Started from the Wild Flower rd entrance and was able to park inside the beginning parking lot. The weather was great as it was an…

3/20/2021. Definitely got my complete cardio-pulmonary exercises with emphasis on gluts & quads. I both love & hate this trail, hahaha. But sure will come…

Oh boy, this one is difficult!!!   Quite steep.   The tenth mile is steep uphill when you’re exhausted.  The last 1 1/2 miles to the top…

Nice and sunny, a very little bit of mud on the trail, BUT what a nasty trail up and down, false peak after false peak.…

I can’t imagine doing this hike any time after March. It’s incredibly exposed and just an unreal dark magic of being a billion times hotter…

On Sunday, I hiked El Cajon Mountain with my buddy Elias, the hike was amazing, all the ups and downs both ways made it quite…

Made our best time yet up this awful peak ????

Not as hard as I thought it would be. Very well-maintained trail. A lot of scrambling at the peak!

This was a long trial with some steep sections – especially toward the end. Had a blast climbing over the rocks. Weather started out pretty…

Got on the trail at 0630. It was cool and partly cloudy. The trail is a tough one. The start is steep, levels out a…

Hike started out ok. Partly cloudy, a little chilly and a light breeze. As I approached the Stop sign telling us that we’ve reached the…

We experienced it all at El Cajon Saturday! Wind, rain, hail, heads in the clouds! Unfortunately no view for us this day. So I’ll take…

Perfect overcast morning. Not crowded, lots of elevation gains and losses both ways. Summit view is beautiful and we were able to enjoy it all…

Such a great hike with our crew and beautiful weather was the icing on the cake. We loved the little fruit stand and all the…

My favorite peak to hike in San Diego County!  Also not surprisingly the toughest and sometimes most brutal workout that leaves my quads burning for…

This hike was a very satisfying challenge.  The grind never let up to or from the summit.  Smooth trail, rocky washed out trail. and climbing…

This one seems to get better every time you do it. This is my second time hiking it, and though it was still hard, it…

One of my hardest hikes. Very challenging. Beautiful 360 view!

2 buddies and I hiked this one. The up and down keeps this one interesting. At one part you think you must be at the…

Trail in decent shape with some boulder skree etc lots of of other  hikers, crowded at the summit. Long hike, lots of ups and downs…

Super fun hike! We arrived early 6:00 AM  and parked on wildcat canyon road and began hiking.  The hike is  a little challenging in that…

There is an honor system fruit stand at the trailhead with tangerines, avocados and bottles of water.  Bring cash if you want to grab a…

3/6/21 10:39 El Capitan County Preserve trailhead 13:41 El Cajon Mountain summit 16:42 El Capitan County Preserve parking lot

Mile 1 starts by going passed a couple house and a fruit stand where there is about a 50 yard stretch of concrete. In between…

The views from the top are amazing and so rewarding after a rock scramble, and a grueling trek over never ending rolling hills. Glad I…

We arrived at 7:30am and there was already a good amount of cars parked on the road. Gate to park in the lot opens at…

This was a tough trail. Three distinct climbs with descents in the middle meant there were climbs on the way back too. It’s a pretty…

Today we summited El Cajon! We started at 7:05 and ended up back at the car at 2:30. The trail got hot once noon rolled…

“They” say it is the toughest hike in San Diego and it was tough enough for this old fogie. But the views from the summit…

Oh my! The ups and downs on this trail can be a knee killer.  Also, it takes time to go down some of the areas…

This hike is beautiful and challenging. The up and downs of this hike are quite rough on the knees and feels like hiking a rollercoaster.…

Weather was really chill during the morning, perfect for completing the strenuous hike Third time completing this hike, it gets better with time.

This is a brutal hike. You feel it both ways. I never felt more accomplished than after completing this hike!

I’ve done this one now about 5 times. It’s always the same – super steep and challenging both ways. The only time the trail gets…

This is my fourth time doing this hike. It is definitely a leg burner!  Make sure to bring LOTS of water and electrolytes.  Snacks are…

What a difficult hike!  Believe every word when you read reviews about being prepared, this hike is no joke!  The train is 11.3 miles from…

El Capitan Trail is no joke. 5.37 miles each way, 4000’ vertical and 42% slope.   It’s literally uphill each way.   This is hike…

Not as bad as I thought it would be! Can’t wait to beat our time next time!

It was a little rough. The ups and downs going up to the peak are bad enough; then you realize you will see those ups…

The weather was beautiful as we started out at 6:30 AM.  The restrooms along the trail near the start were well maointained and a nice…

We hiked this last week, too, but had to turn around about a mile from the summit due to time constraints, so I’m so happy…

We hiked this last week, too, but had to turn around about a mile from the summit due to time constraints, so I’m so happy…

Second time doing this beast and combined it with nearby El Capitan on the occasion of my birthday. It was plenty warm already and there…

Trail conditions were good, but a definite leg burner

Trail was in great condition, but definitely a leg burner.

Trail was good very well marked, steep sections, bees at the top. At the entrance of the trail there’s a mini fruit stand with delicious…

My second time and I managed to beat my time by an hour+. Windy at the top, but worth the view and mental/physical challenge.

This was a tough, but fun hike. I felt like I was on the stairmaster for at least 3 hours. I thought the trail was…

This hike is everything everyone says it is…Hard!! The first 3 miles are bearable but that last miles to the top are grueling.

Early morning meet up 6am.. First hike in a few months so i was excited.. Morning breeze was great. Not cloudy but the cool in…

This was hands down a burner.  Just when I thought we were done climbing I’d look ahead and there’s another climb. This one kicked my…

The weather was cool and the sky was clear. You can see downtown San Diego from the top. The hike itself is brutal. Ups and…

Hike was awesome. Very challenging, views were spectacular. Started around 730am. Got back to the car in 7 hours. Trail well marked near the peak…

The hike was very intense very rocky and basically all uphill this was actually the hardest hike I have ever done in my life so…

This peak was no joke! Just when you thought you are past the steepest and worst part you’re wrong, because it keeps getting worse and…

Tough hike! Be prepared with plenty of water.

This was definitely a hard one!!

This was a mentally challenging hike. So many step climbs and descents. That goodness for the green sticks at the last half mile or we…

As usual it’s challenging trail, but well worth it!

This is my 4th time hiking this trail in my life.  I’ve twisted my ankle last October, so I brought my hiking poles and those…

I feel accomplished after completing this hike. The trail was rugged and rocky in places. Very steep ups and downs in others.  Definitely one of…

The weather was perfect, nice and cool and a light breeze for normal people (me I’m not normal I was still overheated and sweating ????),…

Countless ups and downs, very rugged terrain, perfect weather and beautiful views from El Cap. However by the time we summited  El Cajon fog moved…

Time: 7 hrs Distance: 10 miles Elevation gain: 3,400 ft

Was difficult, but did not die!!

This was a hard hike, took us almost 7 hours, recorded on all trails. 4:54 moving time, total time 6:54. 11 miles avg pace 26:38…

was not an easy one.  had clouds on top and no view

Located in the County’s El Capitan Open Space Preserve. Parked on the side of road as we wanted to get head start. Parking lot opens…

This was a great hike. All Trails rated it as hard so, I expected it to be challenging. I think that helped. A good night’s…

Definitely one of the hardest hikes I’ve done. Proud of ourselves for tackling this beast. The weather was perfect in the mid 50s. My hiking…

There is truth to a lot of what I read.  It was a tough hike but very well worth the climb and the bragging rights.…

Tough inclines, even tougher declines. I will bring trekking poles next time. Exhilarating hike!

I needed a good hard hike to keep training for upcoming my Red Top/Sawtooth attempt. I considered some of the harder desert hikes as an…

This is a super hard hike. There is no going up slow and coming down fast. The whole way up and back it’s up and…