Southern California Trails » San Diego

Lake Poway Loop

SoCalTrails — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:56:04 +0000

Find the trail just beyond the lake entrance, to the left of the park office and concession stand. The trail follows the west shoreline to the rock-fill dam, descends to a creek crossing, and soon reaches a dirt maintenance road. Turn left (north) and stay with the that road for about 100 years, where you will see the Lake Poway Loop trail continuing on the right (at this juncture, if you want, you can make a short side trip down to the "Wilderness Campground", a walk in or ride in site for

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Crest Canyon

SoCalTrails — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:29:11 +0000

Pick up the wide path heading north and gradually downhill. After less then 1 mile, you reach Racetrack View Drive, across from the southern arm of San Dieguito Lagoon. This is also a possible starting point of the hike.

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Woodson Mountain – West Approach

SoCalTrails — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:54:32 +0000

Begin at the grassy picnic area on the southwest shore of Lake Poway, and follow either of the two wide trails southeast (they soon merge). After skirting the south shore and dipping to cross Warren Canyon, you come to a trail junction at .8 miles. Turn right on the signed Mount Woodson Trail and climb east on a steep grade through sage and scrub and chaparral.

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Los Penasquitos Canyon – East Approach

SoCalTrails — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:46:11 +0000

Take along a picnic lunch and a blanket on this hike. There are many fine places, sunny meadows, oak-shaded flats, and the sycamore-fringed

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Cowles Mountain – South Approach

SoCalTrails — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:28:25 +0000

Precisely on that flat spot, there once existed a circular array of stones crossed by an "arrow" of rocks pointing southeast to the exact point on the horizon where the winter solstice sun rises, typically on December

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San Clemente Canyon

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:45:04 +0000

San Clemente Canyon - photo via Flickr - driven to capture2

Directions: also called Marian Bear Memorial Park, this trail runs across the 52 freeway off of either Genesee Ave. or Regents Rd . If you are heading south it is just past the 52 freeway and if you are heading north it is just before the 52, there are parking lots for both entrances.

There are mountain bikers

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Palomar Observatory Trail

SoCalTrails — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:21:20 +0000

Staring from the upper trailhead, walk first through a thicket of chaparral, then past pines, oaks, and incense cedars. About half way down, the trail bends around a ravine, alive with the sound of a stream. Soon after, you come to a wooden platform on the left overlooking Mendenghall

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La Jolla Caves

SoCalTrails — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:14:06 +0000

South of the wide La Jolla Shores Beach, the sand disappeats and wave-washed cliffs begin. Just offshore, LA Jolla Canyon swallows the sand that normally would migrate down the coast. The western most cave is well-known among tourists and natives alike. It can be reached from above by a long stairway that begins inside the Cave Store and passes through a human-made tunnel. The half dozen or so other grotto's in the series are usually only accessible by water, or very low tides.

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Iron Mountain

SoCalTrails — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:54:04 +0000

Iron Mountain

Distance: 6.4 miles round trip Hiking Time: 3.5 hours Elevation Gain/Loss 1200′/1200′ Difficulty: Moderate

# Latitude Longitude Elevation Distance 1 N 32° 58' 34.23" W 116° 58' 21.11" 473 m

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El Cajon Mountain

SoCalTrails — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:39:53 +0000

Everything ranging from a easy Class 1 hike to a Class 3 scramble to a large 5.11 wall is found here, and is a jewel for climbers. However, the fact that the mountain is nearly completely surrounded by either private property or an Indian Reservation, the trailhead is difficult to find, the valley below is often quite hot, and there is little or no vegetation(fires sweep through Bi-annually), all contribute to this being

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Palomar Observatory Trail.

SoCalTrails — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:18:07 +0000

A hike along Observatory Trail on Palomar Mountain is like a “three-for-one” deal at the supermarket: for the price of sweating out a hike on one beautiful, coniferous, oak-lined trail, you reap the benefits that normally only result from having hiked along at least three other trails: a good aerobic climb, magnificent scenery along mostly good trail, and access to a world-famous observatory. The trailhead is easy to find within the Observatory Campground

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Black Beach – Torrey Pines State Reserve

SoCalTrails — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:47:38 +0000

I-5 to Genesee Ave. exit. Head W at end of exit. L onto North Torrey Pines Rd. R onto Torrey Pines Scenic Dr. Park at dirt lot near Torrey Pines

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Blue Sky Nature Reserve

SoCalTrails — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:53:44 +0000

This was a great hike. It starts off at a parking lot and quickly gets into a wooded area, with in 10 minutes you can no longer hear the traffic. Just before the climb up the hill is a small rest area with picnic tables and a porta-potty. Ascending the hill is fairly quick, it is well

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