If you are a San Diego hiker and haven't done this hike- WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???…read more And for those of you who see these photos and think damn I need to go do that, please be aware of the temperature because it is dangerously hot down there at lower temperatures than in other areas. The hike goes down into a canyon and the heat settles down there. Even if it's not as hot as you think coming up can be extremely dangerous. Every year I hear about somebody dying from heat stroke on that hike so don't take it lightly. I always check the weather on the actual trail using the AllTrails app. I saw that the weather out there was max 65° that day and I was like hell yeah. The hike really isn't that difficult, 3 miles down and then 3 miles back up. Lots of nice switchbacks, and there are a few sun shelters for shade. The views are gorgeous all along the trail. I've done this hike, probably 20 times over the years. It's the best in the spring and in the fall. In the winter it's way too cold. The reward for this hike is the gorgeous rock bowl and waterfall that the locals call Devils Punchbowl. This past Thursday when we did this hike, there were a lot of young folks at the Punchbowl when we got there. Some of the guys were climbing up and jumping into the water. I would not recommend it, even if the waterfall is still flowing that water is not safe to swim in. In the fall, the waterfall doesn't flow anymore after being dried out over the brutal summer, but the trees at the bottom of the canyon turn a beautiful gold color. One of the few places in San Diego you can actually experience fall.

Great trail! Well-marked path down to and back up from the falls. Gorgeous water feature!read more

Sitting on a hill overlooking the small town of Julian, CA. It's so amazing to see the headstones…read moremarked with people born in the 1800's. Such a beautiful place.

Not much to see. Poorly maintained but if you are in the area you might as well drive through it.read more

One of the highlights of my trip to Julian! Loved seeing…read morethe cows peacefully grazing about 15 minutes into our hike. The path was not paved but still easily hiked as it was pretty level. The scenery was breathtaking with hills, trees, and the cows!! We even saw some horses by the entrance

This review is for the West Vista Loop which was a ~4.2 mile round trip that took ~2 hours to…read morecomplete. This was a relaxing and peaceful hike with cows. There were some nice open views throughout the trail. The first mile or so was a steep incline before reaching the loop. A little muddy in some areas. Free parking on the side of the road. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/3nMnKb84G6M

Been here a few times . Its has hiking trails bathroom pick nick tables shade …read more Nice park great parking lot. And view of the Santa ysabel valley from were you come into the parking lot. If you like hikes this would be a great one to come check it out. Would i recommend this spot yes i would. Great for pick nicks and just hanging out.

I was curious to see this trail-park, but didn't know the history till I read the board, (which I…read moreterribly forgot to take a full photo of). It memorializes 11 men that died while digging a fire line on steep canyon - three Forest Service firefighters, seven inmates firefighters & their correctional officer (from the Viejas Honor Camp (prison camp), died at approximately 8:00 PM (part of the blaze looped below their position and overran the crew) The fire, (which was started by arson on November 24, 1956), burned 43,611 acres before containment on the evening of November 28. This is from the National Forest Service Library website. It's has quite a few picnic tables, a couple grills by them but I personally wouldn't want to bbq out there. There are restrooms that are like porta pottys and a short trail (trails) but I didn't walk too far because of my knee. It's a beautiful, peaceful & scenic spot to go to if you live in the area or if you want to add to a pit stop while venturing out here. Main Street in Julian is down from here where you can grab a bite to eat at anyone of the restaurants/cafes.

One of my favorite hikes in San Diego county- this one has it all!!! Perfect length, challenging…read morebut not TOO hard and the scenery OMG. I've included photos in my review from several trips to Eagle Rock over the years. You start out in a lovely shaded area by a stream, most of the incline is through a chaparral forest with manzanitas and blooming cactus, the last bit is a rolling prairie. The pinnacle of the hike is a huge rock formation that looks exactly like an eagle. I try to do this hike every year in the spring. Tons of flowers and gorgeous rolling grassy hills. This year we had a freakishly hot March and everything bloomed early and then got fried. It was still gorgeous though! We started early when it was still chilly and finished as the heat of the day was coming on. Be sure you keep an eye on the weather. It can get dangerously hot. I recommend a ton of water, hats and sunscreen. On the way home be sure to stop for Julian Pie in San Ysabel!

I had read about this random rock formation shaped like the profile of an eagle when I first…read morestarted doing San Diego County hikes. We tackled this 6.4 mile out-and-back trail in Warner Springs on a recent weekend. It seemed like most of the hikers were completing the journey when we arrived after lunch as they were returning towards the trailhead off Highway 79. You can park along both sides of the road on the shoulder, but don't pull into the fire station lot adjacent to the trailhead. The Eagle Rock Hike is actually a segment of the larger Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT). The PCT spans over 2,500 miles and runs through California, Oregon, and Washington from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. The first half of the outbound portion was rather flat and ran next to a creek that was still flowing with a good amount of water from the March rainfall. There was plenty of shade from the trees in that area. Once you emerged from that section, the path veered into a valley with a few curves and gentle slopes. The landscape looked nothing like what you would expect in San Diego. It resembled the Great Plains with grasses and weeds along with hills and mountains off in the distance. This continued until you could see a set of rocks appearing what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. The approach was from the south side which was the rear of the formation. The view from the north definitely resembled an eagle about to spread its wings. Only one other group of hikers was present when we reached Eagle Rock. You can climb up the back side to the top where you end up next to the eagle's head. Think of photo opportunities like at Potato Chip Rock but without the wait. According to a hiking app, there was an elevation change of several hundred feet. It wasn't noticeable because of the gradual sloping. The round trip took just under three hours. The only real drawback was the lack of shade in the meadows. It was windy during our visit which dropped the temperature by at least 10 degrees in that portion. At the peak of summer, the heat and dry air can make this five-star inland trek less comfortable. PS: Not only is this trail not crowded, but it's very kid and pet friendly.

Wide open spaces this is a nice hiking trial in Santa ysabel California off hwy 78 . Its not a…read morequick hike . But its a good one. When on it for a mile then came back. There's cows and snakes and wild animal in the area so be careful. Would I take some one for a hike here yes and I recommend it. Been to it a few times. Love the great out doors. If you never been should stop in and check it out.

Great trail for people and dogs. Some steep climbs can be rocky and you can easily loose your…read morefooting on the assent and decent. Recommending to arrive early as possible as the dry heat can be a bear. Bring lots of water to keep the pupers from overheating. There are a few picnic spots to rest. Once you have hit the lower creek you have hit half way. Cross the bubble creek and get your feet wet!

Beautiful trail! So much color after the recent rain. Not an easy hike, but it's worth the effort…read more Go early, and be mindful of your hydration needs.

Protip: If you are parking in the dirt lot outside of the gate (leading to the official gravel…read moreparking lot), park parallel to Gunn Stage Road. If you park perpendicular, everyone else will park normal and block you in (a busy day gets 12+ cars at one time). This is a fantastic place to hike, a lot of wildlife + plant + moss + lichen biodiversity. I wish there was more than a single dog poop bag station, which is halfway along the gravel drive to the official trail start, as evidence by the dozens of people who let their dog poop wherever and never picking it up. I know it isn't fair that rabbits, coyotes, and horses don't have to pick their poop up themselves; I don't make the rules. Accessibility-wise, these are dirt trails that start out wide (5+ feet) with gentle slopes. They are not graded flat, and can be off-camber. There is no real shade from the sun on most of the them, leading the park to be closed during the hottest weeks of the year. No potable water, but there is a horse and dog watering station.

One of my favorite late winter early spring hikes in San Diego. If you time it just right, you will…read moresee the most gorgeous flowers all over the trail. I was a little bit early this spring, the flowers are just starting to come out! My guess is two weeks from now it's going to pop. You do not want to come out here and hike in the summer, it's got the name Hellhole Canyon for a reason. It gets dangerously hot and there is no guarantee that anyone's going to rescue you. You can put together a monster hike in this canyon. I've done it twice over 10 miles with an ass blaster of a climb. But today I did the shorter loop which is 5.25 miles. It's got everything, views, climbing and descending and varied terrain! We rarely see anybody out here but today we actually passed three small groups on the trail. You can tell that a lot of people use the trails also with horses because we saw some horse poop and in the distance we could hear horse whinnies- so cute!!! Another bonus is at this trailhead. There are two pit toilets that are the nicest pit toilets I have ever been in. The people that maintain this canyon do an excellent job. They are always clean, stocked with toilet paper and have hand sanitizer. I will 100% be back to this trail, possibly in two weeks! If you're going to do it, I highly recommend downloading the AllTrails app and following the trail as marked. No way you'll get lost.

Super sweet hike for me and my pups. Pretty steep but gorgeous when the weather is right!read more

This review is for Three Sisters Falls Trail which was a ~4.1 miles round trip that took ~2.5 hours…read moreto complete. Trail was narrow for the most part and rocky as you get closer to the waterfall. Steady decline to the waterfall and incline back to the parking lot. Waterfall had a ton of water due to the recent rain! Required to drive ~5.7 miles on dirt road to parking lot. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/5u28VbwUZhg

We had a lovely hike here! We were able to take our dog. He is a smaller old dog so had to go slow…read moreat times and there are narrow areas, depending on your dog's ability of course. There wasnt any water but it was still lovely. I recommend taking a gallon of water per person even if it is not hot. There is not a lot of shade. Parking was easy for us. Oh cant forget... there is a gravel road you have to drive on for quite some time! Be sure to take the best car you can if you have the option 4x4 or SUV vs tiny 2 door

My friends and I weren't planning to come here but the mission we drove out here to see was…read moreunexpectedly closed today so we stopped by the nature center after a slice of pie. The facility is very clean and seems to be on the newer side, with lots of large windows and central A/C. There's a room with some taxidermy wildlife and informational boards to read about the various types of wildlife and plants in the area. There's a room with a projector and a ton of chairs that is probably used for teaching, but today they were just showing shots of a mountain Lion caught walking by a camera. Out on the patio there are seats and tables, as well as interactive gold panning and archeology installations. We spent some time at them and thought it was cool (as adults) so I'm sure kids love them. Then there's a short nature path you can walk down to get to a limited playground, and there is also stadium-like seating off to the side so maybe they do some sort of show here? Not sure. But that's pretty much it. Less one star because there's not much to see, but everything that is there is nice. There were only three other families we ran into while exploring, so not sure if it was an off hour or if this is typical.

Great place to visit. The center is full of information and exhibits showing the local plants and…read more wildlife. There are 12 miles of trails with different degrees of difficulty. Some of thrails are very step with long downhills, not good for people with bad knees. Hours of operation are from 8:00am to sunset.