Cuyamaca Peak Hike

Cuyamaca Peak Loop Hike
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Hike starts at 9:00am

Difficulty: STRENUOUS!
Distance: 7.7 miles (Round trip)
Elevation Gain:  1,883 ft
Peak Elevation: 6,512
Hiking Time: 4 - 5 hours approximately
Not suitable for dogs and kids
Weather: Hike will be canceled if it rains.
What to bring?
 - Good hiking shoes or boots
 - Dress in layers since it will be cool in the morning & windy at the peak
 - Sunscreen/Sunglasses/hat
 -2 - 3 Liters of water
 -Snacks & lunch to eat at the peak
 - Cellphone

Trailhead Address:
Cuyamaca State Park
Paso Picacho Campground
12551 Hwy 79
Descanso, CA 91916

Join us for a challenging hike to the second highest peak in San Diego County. This hike is for intermediate to experienced hikers due to the elevation gain and altitude. We will be taking a rugged ridgeback trail with beautiful pine forest views to the west then ascending through one of the most beautiful dense forest trails in the park. The trail quickly morphs to a granite rock trail. Finally it becomes a wall trail hugging a steep drop! The views on this hike are fantastic, both to the East Mountains and west low lying valleys.  Finally, the trail merges with the paved fire road 1/2 mile from the top of Cuyamaca Peak.   On a clear day the views from the 6,512 feet peak are spectacular!  After taking a break to eat lunch and take in the views at the peak, we will descend on the paved fire road to make a loop.  The paved fire road is very steep so if you have bad knees, this may not be the hike for you.  

Directions: Take I-8W to Descanso and follow the signs for Highway 79 (12 miles) north to reach the trailhead. We will park at the Paso Picacho Campground parking lot. There is an $10/car parking fee since it is a state park.  They accept cash or debit/credit card.  You may want to consider carpooling with others that live near you and split the cost of gas and the entrance fee. (There will not be a coordinated carpool for this hike). It takes about 60 minutes to get there from San Diego so please allow time to arrive and start the hike promptly at 9:00am.

If you have questions, please contact Kendall at kendallmaloy@yahoo.com