San Pasqual Hiking Trails - Southwest Trail

ELEVATION: 1,550 FT
DISTANCE: 3 MILES
TIME: 1.5 HOURS
DIFFICULTY: EASY







The San Dieguito River Park (http://www.sdrp.org/) provides a network of trails from Lake Hodges to Ramona. One segment of the trails is located in the San Pasqual Valley, just east of the Wild Animal Park off of Highway 78. The easier trails start at a trailhead on the south side of the 78. A more challenging set of trails start at a trailhead on the north side.

On this hike, we chose the south network of trails. After a .5 mile uphill climb, we came to a fork in the trail. The path to the east is about a 2 mile hike to a peak that overlooks Ramona. The path to the west leads to a 1,550 FT peak that overlooks the San Pasqual Valley. When we came to the fork, we decided to explore the east route which led to a grove after a few hundred feet (left). A creek runs through the grove and there is a bridge over the creek that was built as an Eagle Scout Project.

After exploring the grove, we turned back and headed toward the west, past the fork in the trail. We were a little too early for the wildflowers, and the vegetation was still brown and dry. The trail is relatively smooth but is very narrow. It was gradual uphill with a few long switchbacks, and at last we came to a viewpoint that offered some nice rocks to sit on.

The actual end of the trail is a few hundred feet past the viewpoint, and when you reach the end, there is no mistake that you are at the end (below). The end of the trail offers a nice view of Cuyamaca Peak. I will be back to these trails sometime to explore the north network.