Southern Cali - Cleveland N.F.

[dflinazz]

Does anyone know of some of some good hikes/camping/backpacking in this area? I am going to San Diego for work and have a few days to kill on my way back. Thought this would be a good time to explore out there.

[azbackpackr]

I grew up there, and occasionally I really want to move back, but I usually get over it. The Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, although it burned over a few years ago, has extensive trails. (Pronounced Kwee uh MACK uh, NOT Kooya mack uh!!!) I used to backpack all over that place when I was in my 20's and that is where my infamous screaming mtn. lion adventure occurred.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is awesome, but hot in summer. Laguna Mountain Recreation area has trails, too, and is up high in the pines. The PCT runs through the county. Palomar Mtn. is gorgeous, up high, lots of pines and firs. All areas are very busy on weekends. Go very early to beat the crowds or go on weekdays.

To develop this further, I will note more things in case anyone is going to relocate there or spend more time there:

I recommend this book: Afoot and Afield in San Diego County by Jerry Schad. Shows where there are an amazing number of waterfalls, most of which have water only in springtime, though. Shows trails all over the county.

Recommend local Sierra Club chapter, also, which offers a lot of backpacking trips to remote parts of the county, and dayhikes, too. Also offers a very good Basic Mtneering Course, although I think recently they have changed the name of that course.

There have been a lot of trails developed lately that are more urban, too, where you can walk or ride a bike. We rode a paved bike path from Oceanside toward Vista, and were told it is 15 miles long, one way. Torrey Pines State Park between La Jolla and Del Mar is another place where there are some short hikes going down to the beach.

[gringoantonio]

San Jacinto from Idlywild is one of my favorite overnight trips. If I remember correctly it's about 5k vert over about 10 miles. With the 2nd highest (after San G, across the desert) peak in SoCal, the view from the top is great. Rock climbing on Tahquitz is popular (Idlywild side of mountain) If Idlywild is out of the way, you can take the tram up from Palm Springs. You can easily make this an overnight trip, exploring the peaks.

Joshua Tree is also highly recommended.

[azbackpackr]

Those are very nice areas, true, but to a San Diegan, they seem a little bit far away. They are in the San Bernardino NF, in San Bernardino County, over 100 miles from San Diego.

It is hard to get across to people who haven't tried it that there is great hiking in San Diego County. Most people drive there from Phoenix in summer, bypassing all the turns off the freeways to the mountain areas, and head straight for the beach. Which I can understand, of course--I love the beach, too! A good county map and a good hiking guidebook are essentials.

[gringoantonio]

Those are very nice areas, true, but to a San Diegan, they seem a little bit far away. They are in the San Bernardino NF, in San Bernardino County, over 100 miles from San Diego.

It is hard to get across to people who haven't tried it that there is great hiking in San Diego County. Most people drive there from Phoenix in summer, bypassing all the turns off the freeways to the mountain areas, and head straight for the beach. Which I can understand, of course--I love the beach, too! A good county map and a good hiking guidebook are essentials.

Depends on how narrowly you limit your definition San Diegan. The majority do no limit their definition of San Diego to downtown San Diego or even solely the city of San Diego. San Diego county is very big. Some parts of San Diego are far, far less than the 100 miles you claim, from Idlywild. Some parts of Cleveland national Forest are farther than Idlywild.

Yes there are some great hikes in San Diego, but none that compare to San Jacinto or Joshua Tree. As both are a short drive from I-10, which many people take into San Diego, it makes perfect sense to "allow" recommendation of both, azbackpackr.

[azbackpackr]

Yup, those are just really nice, awesome places, as you say, up there in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Lots higher in elevation, and some pretty big actual wilderness areas. San Gorgonio in particular is just amazing. I have snowshoed up both San Jac and Gorgonio in winter and camped on their summits on top of 12 feet of snow.

But, on the other hand, I lived in San Diego for 25 years, mostly in Pt. Loma, but also in Mission Beach and La Mesa. For dayhiking or for a quick weekend backpacking trip, Cuyamaca and the Lagunas, Palomar, the PCT, Borrego, Julian, Ramona, etc. are just a lot closer than Jacinto or Gorgonio to the main parts of San Diego, or even to Oceanside, which is where I go these days to visit my son. From there we can zip up to Palomar very quickly. In general, the traffic all around there has gotten so terrible, so that if you want to get anything else done that day, AND get in a day hike it makes sense to know the county. So many SD residents have no idea of the hundreds of miles of trail within a few miles of town.