Tag Archives: San Diego

Hiking

San Diego Hiking Trails

San Diego hikes, SD hiking, San Diego Mountains

Anza Borrego Desert Slot Canyons
Anza Borrego Desert Slot Canyons

Back a couple of decades ago, inspiration and research for creating this very web site began in the deserted hills behind San Diego. Escaping the city at every chance, some feel the rat race more than others. Luckily the desert is close and there is plenty of space for everyone. California boulders and badlands, hot springs, pine meadows, great views, oak forests creeks, coastal cliffs and lush canyons near downtown, SD does have some awesome hiking trails – even a few waterfalls too.

LagunaMdws

San Diego County Parks Map w/ links
descanso_sign
SD small towns w/ hiking trails nearby
signjulian

San Diego Hiking Maps

ClevelandMap_07

Picnic Areas, Sightseeing

San Diego Picnic

Picnics San Diego – Picnic Area San Diego

IBbeach

 

picnics

CITY & BAYS & BEACHES:

  • Balboa Park, San Diego – 5 square miles of beautiful city park with lots of gardens
  • Bayview Park, Coronado Island – Small city neighborhood park with great view of downtown skyline
  • Silver Strand State Beach near IB or Imperial Beach, S of Coronado
  • Harbor Island Park, near San Diego airport – facing SD Bay with views of downtown skyline
  • Shelter Island, near San Diego airport – facing SD Bay with views of downtown skyline
  • Mission Bay Park, San Diego, CA – maze of bay front parks & trails; picnic areas, bonfire pits, bike trails & playgrounds
  • Soledad Park, La Jolla, CA – small neighborhood park atop a Mount Soledad, great views of county & ocean
  • Presidio Park, San Diego Mission – park like setting surrounding mission w/ gardens & trees
  • Tidelands Park, Coronado Island – large park with great view of bay, bridge & downtown skyline
  • Mission Trails Park – Mission Gorge – SD river & historic dam, hiking, biking trails
  • Sunset Cliffs, Point Loma – sit on cliff edge or take stairway to beach
  • Torrey Pines Cliffs, Del Mar, CA

San Diego picnic parks

laguna mountains
View east from Laguna Mountain PIcnicgrounds

BACK COUNTRY MOUNTAINS & DESERTS:

vcampoutpinyonwsh

Maps Mountains / San Diego Maps

California Deserts, Campgrounds, Campsites, Hot Springs, Palm Oasis

Agua Caliente Hot Springs

Agua Caliente Springs

Agua Caliente County Park
Agua Caliente Anza Borrego Desert
Agua Caliente Hot Springs

East San Diego County
N of Ocotillo, CA

Anza Borrego Desert MapAgua Caliente Hot Springs County Park is a remote 910-acre San Diego County Park next to the Anza Borrego Desert. A developed hot springs, picnic area & a large campground. This desert destination is perfect for California winter recreation, offering a small air strip for small plane pilots.

Located North of Interstate 8 on San Diego Road S-2 on the south end of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Local mountain’s seismic forces created the fault that runs beneath this region & forces water up to tRV campground Anzahe desert surface. A decent water supply also supports plant life & wildlife.

For minimal crowds AVOID THIS PLACE on holiday weekends or peak winter months. Spring & Autumn are excellent times to visit here, but watch the weather forecast for any heat waves. Who wants to soak when it’s 100 degrees outside?

2 natural hot mineral pools:

  • large outdoor pool is kept at natural 96 degrees
  • glass walled indoor pool is heated & has bubbling jets
  • spring-fed, warm showers are available
  • hiking trails, horseshoe & shuffleboard

Indoor Pool

Agua Caliente Campground

140 campsites – tent sites & RV hookups w/ dump station. Shady trees only at some camp sites. Indoor pool, outdoor pools, maybe a hike-in primitive tub too. Individual campsites may be reserved up to 12 weeks in advance 858-565-3600

  • Anza Borrego Desert Map
  • San Diego Backcountry Map


    • View Larger Map

    Anza Borrego Hot Springs
    Several nice camp spots line this canyon on the north side.
    4x4 Camps OHV, 4x4 Routes, Campspots, Off Road

    Primitive Camp San Diego

    Fire Light Cove

    Open car camping is allowed in several places inside Cleveland National Forest, although NO campfires are permitted in the backcountry (trailside or dirt roads) – due to the high fire danger. Your best for FREE, open, dispersed camping (with a campfire) is Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Lower elevations w/ summertime temperature can get very hot, so plan for higher elevation camps. The more you explore, the more you can find.

    The Tom Harrison San Diego Backcountry Map can get you out there on the back roads.

    Laguna Mountain (off Sunrise Hwy. S-1)
    [south Cleveland National Forest]
    East of San Diego; 40 miles E on Interstate 8

    • Pine Creek Road – with plenty of mountain biking trails
    • Noble Canyon – popular mountain biking trail
    • Kitchen Creek Road (warning, heavy use w/ US Border Patrol)

    Palomar Mountain (off Hwy. 76)
    [north Cleveland National Forest]
    N of San Diego; 40 miles N on Interstate 15

    Anza Borrego Desert Camping
    East of San Diego CA

    • Dispersed camping nearly anywhere in Anza desert (w/ a metal fire bucket)

    [higher elevations (1000-2000′) near Cleveland National Forest]

    • Oriflamme Canyon (off Road S-2)
    • Culp Valley (off Road S-22)
    • Blair Valley (off Road S-2)

    [lower elevations (100′) near Hwy 78]

    Cupl Valley Camp

    A winter day out exploring Culp Valley back roads.

    mortero trails

    Maps Mountains / San Diego Maps

    Back Roads, Campgrounds, Campsites

    Indian Flats Campground

    Temecula Camping / Warner Springs Campground

    San Diego Mountains – Cleveland National Forest

    Indian Flats Campground

    Indian Flat Campground is located on the seasonal San Luis Rey River in rural North San Diego County.  From I-15 @ Temecula, CA travel eastbound on Highway 79. Look for the tiny turn off  (on left side) for forest road #9N05, sorta near glider airport located west of Warner Springs. This poorly paved backcountry route (half dirt/mud at times) is also known as both Indian Flats Road or Lost Valley Road.

    Graded dirt road (paved in some portions) travel is approximately 6.5 miles to campground, look for gate and turn off on the left side. When you see the giant boulder near the entrance, you’ll know you’ve made it to the right place.

    Oak trees and a few pines, plenty shade, boulders and mountain scenery, this is a great small campground that is well away from everything in Southern California.  Seasonal creek-sized river and boulder waterfall often dries up in late summer. This means a wet spring is the best time to visit this camp. Hiking, mountain biking trails and hammock spots. Pacific Crest Trail access.

    Cleveland National Forest
    Palomar Ranger District
    760-788-0250

    ClevelandMap_07

    • Elevation: 3,600′
    • Number of Sites: 17
    • Camping Reservations: None
    • Sites Available: First come, First serve
    • Vehicle Accessibility: Length 15′ max.
    • Length of Stay: 14 Days
    • Water: No Piped; Seasonal creek nearby
    • Toilet: Vault
    • Season: Closed for mud & snow during winter months
    • Fee: Yes
    • Operated By: National Forest Service
    • Closest Town: Warner Springs, CA

    Indian Flat
    Indian Flat Campground Entrance
    Lakes & Reservoirs

    San Diego Lake

    sutherland Reservoir

    Lakes in San Diego CA
    San Diego County Lakes & Reservoirs

    Salton Sea, way out past Anza Borrego desert is indeed surreal, but nothing too spectacular

    Baja mountain camping at Laguna Hanson. Baja California Norte
    Lake Dixon in North County San Diego, near Escondido, CA

    Barrett Lake, near Tecate CA
    w/ plenty of off-roading trails @ Corral Canyon OHV Park

        • south of Interstate 8
        • steep slopes & granite boulders
        • vegetation is chaparral & coastal sage
        • elevations range – 1,600′ – 3,681′
        • wood fires prohibited
        • portable stoves permitted
        • groups limit – 15 people
        • visitor permit required
    hikes NFS camping

    Looking for alpine lakes, dense forest and dramatic mountain scenery? 

    Of course you are. That’s why half the population relocated to California, to endlessly search for summer vacation destinations in alpine bliss and stay overnight next to a secluded mountain lake. You’ll need to leave SoCal to find these beauties, but they are out there if you have the time to travel and spend a week enjoying one. Midweek, the fish are all yours. Check out our huge California Lake List.

    Campsites, Lakes & Reservoirs

    San Diego Lakes

    San Diego county has numerous recreational lakes, but only a few that allow overnight camping. Oak filled valleys and pine forests are nearby, but if you are seeking alpine lakes, surrounded by granite peaks and towering forests – then look to north for the Sierra Nevada mountains. Southern California landscape is nearly a desert terrain, with seasonal creeks and minimal rivers, so you won’t find lush greenery with natural lakes down here.

    lakes San Diego

    cleveland National Forest map

    Wilderness

    Pine Creek Wilderness

    Pine Creek Wilderness Area
    East of San Diego, California

    • 13,400 acres
    • gently sloping area
    • elevations range – 2,000′ ­ 4,000′
    • vegetation is chaparral & scrub
      oak
    • riparian & woodland vegetation in stream
      bottoms
    • Pine Creek & drain the area north to
      south
    • rainbow trout in Pine Creek
    • streams are dry for parts of the year
    • several trails provide access to area
    • wood fires prohibited
    • portable stoves permitted
    • groups limit – 15 people
    • visitor permit required
    Cleveland National Forest
    Descanso Ranger District
    3348 Alpine Boulevard
    Alpine, CA 91901
    619-445-6235

    Pine Creek Wilderness Map
    Backpacking, Hiking, Trailheads

    San Diego Trails

    San Diego Hiking – San Diego County Trails

    horse hiking

    Cedar Creek Falls
    3 mi RT / moderate; off Hwy 78

    From Santa Ysabel on Hwy. 78, drive E 6 mi, turn right on Pine Hills Rd.
    1.50 mi., bear right on Eagle Peak Rd.
    1.25 bear right again (signs point to Eagle Peak Ranch)
    Drive 8 mi. (dirt & paved) to Saddleback, 4 way junction.
    Park & hike the fire road downhill for 1.25 mi.
    At the fork, bear left & continue into the Cedar Creek bed
    Some rock scrambling down to the swimming hole

    Hot Springs Mountain
    5.5 miles RT/ strenuous (elevation gain/loss =1,250 feet)
    Near Warner Springs, 10 miles northeast of Lake Henshaw; Off Highway 79

    From Temecula Interstate 15, take Highway 79 East to Warner Springs
    Drive up Los Coyotes’ Indian Reservations main road, past the intersection of Middle Fork Borrego Palm Canyon (6.1 miles past the entrance gate )
    Turn left (west) and drive up the valley on a sandy road to reach a saddle above the valley 2.2 mi. farther
    At Nelson’s Camp, on the left side of the road, Park at the camp
    Begin hiking southwest up along a small tributary stream that flows north & west into Agua Caliente Creek.
    Follow an old Jeep trail up, gaining more than 500 feet in just over a mile.
    At the top, you’ll meet a better road that runs up the south slope to Hot Springs Mountain
    Turn left (west) on this road and climb another 1.6 miles along the ridge line to the tower.
    Pass through dense forests of black oak, Coulter pine and white fir, and across meadows dotted in late spring with wildflowers.
    Lookout tower, dilapidated and seemingly on its last leg, sits on the west shoulder of the mountain.
    Go a bit higher on the ridge by following a faint trail through thick brush and around boulders to the true summit. A flat concrete platform caps the summit block.
    option – Seven-mile dirt road going up the mountain’s southern slope (drive, hike or mountain bike)

    Maps Mountains / San Diego Maps

    see also – San Diego Anza Borrego 4×4

    Campsites, Sightseeing, Trailheads, Wilderness

    San Diego Mountains

    San Diego Mountain / Hiking San Diego / SoCal Camping

    hiking San Diego

    San Diego forests & parks – 

    Cleveland National Forest

    Palomar Mountain State Park

    Anza Borrego Desert State Park

    San Diego maps & trails –

    San Diego mountain towns nearby – Alpine, Descanso, Julian, Mount Laguna, Palomar, Ramona

    mt laguna lodge