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    Hellhole Canyon County Preserve

    4.5 (22 reviews)

    Hellhole Canyon County Preserve Photos

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    Mina H.

    Hellhole canyon is a great hike to do in the spring, with all the rain we had, flowers are blooming and there is lots of green areas, nature is pretty here. There is an anti theater area and group camping sites, very clean, organized and maintain with surrounding blooming bushes. Sunsets are beautiful from this area Bathrooms and drinking water available at the entrance Well maintained parking area, spaces for cars and horses We saw bees, monarch butterflies, lizards and many other insects Little water stream at the bottom of the hill. This hike from the parking lot and entrance takes you downhill, reach the stream after that is an easy hike but coming back up is hiking the hill out, might be thought depending on your physical condition, slow and rest and is easy to enjoy. Bring water, hat and sunblock, there is no tree shade. We use the GPS to find this place, otherwise we will probably get lost as it takes you around many roads.

    Alex D.

    Beautiful place to hike. Some shady spots to take breaks but DEFINITELY bring water. Very hot and dry when the sun it beating down on you. I had hummingbirds fly right in front of my face and hover there, saw lots of beautiful lizards, went past a running creek and enjoyed the open space, never passing by any other people. I do recommend hiking this with other people if you can though, just for safety because it does get so hot and there are lots of bees and for any other safety reason. lovely place to start a morning hike! Bring a sun hat and sunblock! If you bring a pet, you may have to pick them up and carry them; it was too hot for our small dog to walk on the ground.

    Marcus F.

    A place of extreme misery.. I hike here alone during the summer months to challenge myself. Kinda like my own personal walkabout. The other reviewers did a good job of describing this place, but here are a few additional points to be aware of. - Wear a big hat. Look this isn't opening day at Del Mar so no need to be worried about style points. I bought my sombrero at the local Mexican grocery store. - Bring more water than you would normally drink in a whole day. Trust me on this. Also bring an apple or two. - It took me 2 hours to hike from the parking lot to the top of the viewpoint. However, I was fully prepared to make the trek up there. This place is HOT and there is very little shade. - Some trails are overgrown and some are very hard to follow. I've deviated from the trail a few times by accident ( specifically heading west on the ocean trail). - Not a lot of people hike these trails, so you're in a world of hurt if you get stuck. Cell phone service is spotty. - The top viewpoint is worth the hike. Make sure you do the full loop counterclockwise. Mountain Lion Tracks.. Beware! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hellhole-canyon-open-space-preserve-valley-center?select=hAhN1yB9f7o229E8mVyk-w#NkawEbvl3kruADlCBrsjFg Air Rescue - Don't let this be you! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hellhole-canyon-open-space-preserve-valley-center?select=hAhN1yB9f7o229E8mVyk-w#iI-wnuj0fcIFGSKUdHGifQ

    Ryan M.

    Nice peaceful hike Pros Well marked trails Secluded (only saw 4 other people while i was there) A small river crossing (maybe more after a rain?) Variety of flowers plants and trees (a few signs telling you what some of the plants were) Graveled parking area Porta potty bathrooms You can choose different trails to make it a longer or shorter hike (6 or 8 mile loop or longer if you want) Cons: - although the trails are well marked, it is somewhat over grown (since its not highly trafficted) so bring long pants if you don't want you shins to rub against the brush. - people bring their horses there so theres a bunch of horse poop. - with a name like hellhole, you can imagine that it gets hot in the afternoon. Notes: Go early (or in cooler months) to avoid excessive heat. Moderate difficulty (Hiking shoes required for loose terrain and some up and down hill parts) Long pants prefered to avoid the brush, but shorts preferred for coolness. (decisions.... decisions...) Bring a Hat and water (not much tree coverage) Take a trail map at the beginning of the trail.

    The quartz veins on Canyon View Tail at HELLHOLE CANYON look just like this. This photo is from Joshua Tree National Park.  --Tom Brody
    Tom B.

    GETTING THERE. One way to drive to HELLHOLE CANYON PERSERVE is from ROUTE 15. You exit at VIA RANCHO PARKWAY, and to travel to the east. GOOGLE map states that the name of Via Rancho Parkway is Bear Valley Parkway. But this is garbled and wrong. The correct name is Via Rancho Parkway. After a couple of blocks, Via Rancho Parkway makes a sharp bend, and turns north, and at this bend the street changes its name to BEAR VALLEY PARKWAY. Then, Bear Valley Parkway changes its name to VALLEY CENTER ROAD. Once on Valley Center Road, you turn right (to the east) on LAKE WHOLFORD ROAD. From then on, your drive will be on narrow streets that wind around a mountain side and then, after that, narrow streets that pass neighborhoods in farming areas. Eventually, Lake Wholford Road changes its name to PARADISE MOUNTAIN ROAD. GOOGLE map states that the name is Woods Valley Road, but this is not correct. The correct situation is that they are one and the same road. To the east of Lake Wholford Rd., the name is Woods Valley Rd., and to the west of Lake Wholford Rd., the name is Paradise Mtn. Rd. Fortunately, along my way I encountered two or three little signs by the road that said, "Hellhole Canyon Preserve" is this way. MANY FLOWERS. FEW PEOPLE. There is no fee. The trailhead is inviting enough, and on the hike down into a canyon, you encounter signs that identify a nearby plant. One by one by one, you will encounter signs that read: (1) Lemonade Berry Sugar Bush; (2) Chamise; (3) Hoary leaf lilac; (4) Black sage; and then there is a large 3 ft. x 4 ft. plaque that explains the "2003 Paradise Fire," and finally (5) California buckwheat. At this time of year (May), most parts of the trail during my two hour hike were bordered by flowers. Mostly, yellow flowers. Typically, the stems of these flowers arched over the trail, and many were at shoulder height (providing that you are about 5 and 1/2 feet tall). Black sage resembles another plant, namely, fiddledock. Despite its name, Black sage has many blossoms that are colored light violet. There are many Hesperoyucca whipplei. At certain times of the year, this type of yucca sprouts fruits that are dark green and that look exactly like tiny bell peppers. Most of the yucca that I saw had a brightly colored collection of blossoms.During my entire walk, I encountered three couples (man plus woman). Two of the couples had a dog. One of the women was an engineering student at U.C. Irvine. One of the men was a fireman. ANIMALS ON OR NEAR THE TRAIL. During the entire hike, I encountered several lizards. One was sitting on a granite boulder by the trail, and the others were crossing the trail. I encountered one black beetle, perhaps a "stinkbug," crossing the trail. I encountered one snake. Mister Snake was very small, and it was crawling across the trail and into the bushes. At two points in the trail, I heard a bird call that went like this: EEK-EEK-EEK-jih-jih-jih-jih-jih-jih-jih-jih-jih-jih-jih-ghghghghgh. The last part of this bird call (ghghghghgh) was a sound that faded out. At a couple of points in my hike, I heard a dove cooing. To reduce the chance of an encounter with mountain lions, I carried a fully extended seven foot long silver-colored aluminum tripod (15 pounds). My theory was that mountain lions would confuse me for being a radio tower, and then leave me alone. ROCKS. There are many huge granite boulders. Most amazing are the granite boulders that have exposed veins of white quartz. Two of these veins can be seen on the main trail, where they occur in between the lower terminus of the HORSE THIEF TRAIL and the upper terminus of the HORSE THIEF TRAIL. I did not have my camera along, and so I am here posting photographs of white quartz veins in the granite at JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK. The National Park Service describes the quartz veins as follows: "Visitors also wonder about the "broken terrace walls" laced throughout the boulders. These are naturally occurring formations called dikes. Younger than the surrounding monzogranite, dikes were formed when molten rock was pushed into existing joint fractures. Light-colored aplite, pegmatite, and andesite dikes formed as a mixture of quartz and potassium minerals cooled in these tight spaces. Suggesting the work of a stonemason, they broke into uniform blocks when they were exposed to the surface." My entire hike was 5.2 miles, as measured by the hiking map. I took HISTORIC FLUME TRAIL, which brings you past the flower signs (and the flowers) and to the bottom of a canyon where there is flowing water. Charred trees occur here and there. Some of the charred trees are totally dead, while others have recovered from the fire and are covered with newly grown small branches and leaves. Then, this same trail changes its name to CANYON VIEW TRAIL. RODRIGUEZ PEAK TRAIL is very much overgrown with weeds, and so I did not take it (I didn't want to get lost).

    Lynette T.

    Whenever the hubby & I go on a road trip, we like to find points of interest and check them out. I was looking at the Google map of the area.... Me- "Hellhole Canyon. That sounds interesting. It's not too far off our path." Exploration fail. And, it's on me. I'M A BIG CHICKEN! We find the sign pointing the way and started up the road. I'm looking at its Yelp page and read the first few reviews. "Hmmm, I don't think we'll pass muster with this Tim guy. He'd take one look at me in my Skecher walking shoes & cup of iced coffee and laugh." Then I see the pics of the mountain lion paw print & the snake. Oh hell no. "Turn around! Turn around!" This hiking trail is best left to the experienced brave folks. Definitely not for the unprepared (us) out for a spur-of-the-moment adventure. (We went to go eat at the Pauma buffet instead.) O_o

    Summer A.

    This past weekend, I hiked Hellhole Canyon. The whole damn thing. Up the mountain, down the mountain. Make sure you are in relative shape before making the hike. I'm not and two days later I can barely walk. I digress... My GPS had no problem finding the location in which to park. When you arrive, you'll find two well maintained out houses, a trailer for whomever I'm assuming manages this property, and water for you and your four legged friend (dog and horse variety). Oh... And MAPS! Take a map... What I think is great about this location is that you can choose your experience. You can enjoy a shorter four mile scenic route (easy to moderate, depending on the route) or you can follow the parameters and take an eight + mile moderate to hard route. Either way, the views are amazing. The trails are well marked.

    California Oak such majestic trees
    Sabrina M.

    Absolutely breathtaking views, went after the rains on Sunday February 17th, right when they opened. There was a small stream of water that was manageable to cross, it feed into a larger stream that you barely can see from the path. It's not something your able to get too, or at least that I could tell. Tried to make it to the view points but it started to rain and I wasn't sure if I was going the right way or not. I would definitely come back to this spot. Oh in miles I did approximately 5, round trip.

    Ariel L.

    This hike is absolutely horrendous. Originally planning on another hike with friends last weekend, and that places passes had sold out, so we stumbled upon this hike on yelp. Very intrigued by the name as we are all metal loving freaks of nature, we decided to give it a try! The entire loop is something like 8 miles?? With no water in sight and the only shade is if you lay underneath a small bush, this place is very suited for its name Hellhole. 6 of us, mostly in good shape, mid-afternoon, made it half way and decided to turn back. We would love to try it again and do the whole route. Seriously, bring way more water than you ever do. SERIOUSLY you're gonna need it. A hat, sunscreen, music, no dogs cause they'd probably die. I highly recommend this to anyone in or out of shape. It's a b**ch1/2 and you will feel so amazing after you conquer near death experiences in Hellhole.

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    13 years ago

    We ride our horses through hellhole on a weekly basis and love it. It has very little traffic and makes for a peaceful ride.

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    Ask the Community - Hellhole Canyon County Preserve

    Review Highlights - Hellhole Canyon County Preserve

    The trailhead is inviting enough, and on the hike down into a canyon, you encounter signs that identify a nearby plant.

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    Kumeyaay Trail

    Kumeyaay Trail

    4.0(1 review)
    6.2 mi

    The Kumeyaay Trail is a trail that hugs Lake Wohlford's North shore…read more Parking is free at the Lake Wohlford Ranger Station so just park and walk East to find the trail entrance. Note that the trail isn't marked very well, and you'll have to use trail intuition to find your way in the overgrown areas. The trail is mostly dirt, small boulders, and large flat smooth rocks. Expect mud and sand in some areas next to the lake. Not the best hike if you have bad knees. The actual hike was fun ( early spring after many large rainstorms). You'll walk by several Oak Trees and many wildflowers blooming. This is a birders paradise as many waterfowl make their homes here. It's about 4.5 miles there and back unless you are foolish and decided to walk around the ENTIRE LAKE.. That will make your hike 5.5 total. Note there is NO TRAIL to connect Kumeyaay to the South trails on the other side of the lake. Foolishness - So, once you walk to the end of the Kumeyaay Trail ( there is a private property gate) you might get the harebrained idea to cut through the swamp to get to the south side of the lake.. Okay, we did it ( with three kids).. There are a few things to know before deciding to cut across the mash to the other side.. Much of your hike will be through a large stinging nettle forest. If you're wearing shorts forget about going to the other side of the lake. If you have long pants / jeans you should be okay. Next you'll have to go through various reeds and muck. Then you'll have to cross a small stream about ten feet wide, a few feet deep.. You're going to get your shoes wet unless you're one hell of a long jumper. Finally, you'll have to ascend up a vertical cliff to get up to a road..One you're on the South Side of Lake Wohlford you still have a long way to hike to get back to your car. There is no shortcut and you'll have to walk along the busy Lake Wholford Rd for over a mile. Worth it?? Yeah it was pretty adventurous. - Tips I wouldn't kike this trail in the summer. There are soooo many places for rattlesnakes to hide.

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    Kumeyaay Trail - River to cross if you want to get to the other side of lake.

    River to cross if you want to get to the other side of lake.

    Kumeyaay Trail
    Kumeyaay Trail

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    Palomar Mountain State Park - Mariposa lily

    Palomar Mountain State Park

    4.4(91 reviews)
    7.0 mi

    A beautiful state park and such amazing campgrounds. There are a few campground options, but during…read moremy recent visit, we stayed at the Doane Valley Campground. It was very easy to book ahead online and pay for our daily parking pass once we checked-in. The campsite itself is tucked into the forest, very high up on Palomar Mountain. We found it easy to park our one SUV at our campsite and pitch our tents. The sites do have water, tables, and food boxes. The bathrooms were kept quite nice and tidy. We were all very impressed with the simple but clean and well maintained facilities. We did do a dog friendly hike that starts in the Doane Valley Campground and it's about 4 miles round trip. We had a lovely hike with a decent amount of incline along with beautiful weather. They also have a lovely stop/view area at the beginning of the campgrounds with picnic tables. Palomar mountain is great for camping, hiking, a nice Sunday cruise up the mountain for the beauty, etc. Cell phone service is spotty up there so make sure to either download your map ahead of time or use satellite service.

    WARNING Do not…read moreattempt to drive on Nate Harrison Road unless your vehicle can handle off-road conditions. It is not paved and has many dangerous sections for cars not equipped for them. Take 76 and S Grade Road instead. Phone reception is limited on the mountain. I strongly suggest downloading maps before you visit. The park headquarters is quite small and it doesn't seem like it is continually staffed. Make sure you have plenty of fuel. Bring lots of water. Keep in mind that it may be hotter on the mountain than the temperature at sea level. We didn't see any potable water during a recent visit. As long as you're well-prepared, you will enjoy this beautiful park. Have fun and stay safe.

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    Palomar Mountain State Park
    Palomar Mountain State Park
    Palomar Mountain State Park

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    Wilderness Gardens Preserve - Recent photo (from 2nd visit).

    Wilderness Gardens Preserve

    4.4(20 reviews)
    9.3 mi

    So last week was my second time to this spot. I enjoyed it the first time that I asked my friend…read moreto join me again for another leisurely hike/walk. There is a small fee of $3 to park and enjoy a walk or hike. Each time of our visit it seemed like they were maintaining certain areas. This spot is located right off the main road of Pala, which you must give a enough time to give the driver behind you with a warning brake and use your signal. This turn will sneak up on you as you are coming downhill at a decent speed. I like this area because it is not too far from where I live and it has a lot of nature habitat that I feel like I am deep in a canyon. You can make this a leisure walk or a moderate hike by taking a different trail. There is a small pond nearby and a couple of benches to sit and enjoy the pond. While on this walk we watched a healthy coyote roam the area. We didn't feel threatened by it. We opted to head up the hill which we managed much better than my first time. There are areas that have soft soil/sand. We didn't come across any snakes, but I see a Yelper had encountered one. We are in their territory. During our walk at mid morning there was a constant breeze, that was a plus. There is a porta potty available if needed. During our first visit rangers were driving the roads periodically, which this time we didn't seen anyone driving in the area. I hope to do another leisure walk or hike here again soon. Come check it out! Be cautious turning into the entrance and also exiting the Preserve.

    The entrance to this place WILL sneak up on ya, and it's a steep entrance so drive slow! This is…read moreone of my absolute favorite places to go to with all my dogs. This place is very peaceful on weekdays, it has plenty of easy trails to use and a few that are a little more difficult but not ridiculously steep and there's stairs on one trail! When the rains are heavy you have to cross the river at the start, IF the current isn't crazy strong. If so, it'll likely be closed and you can only walk on one trail near the parking lot. Parking is $3, but there's a year pass option which if you're local enough it pays for itself! They're also closed on Wednesdays and their hours are 8am-4pm.

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    Wilderness Gardens Preserve - My fist hike at this location.  You could smell the orange blossoms from the orchard nearby.

    My fist hike at this location. You could smell the orange blossoms from the orchard nearby.

    Wilderness Gardens Preserve - Another trail, leisure trail.

    Another trail, leisure trail.

    Wilderness Gardens Preserve - Beautiful clouds, created some much needed shade.

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    Beautiful clouds, created some much needed shade.

    Hellhole Canyon County Preserve - hiking - Updated May 2026

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