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    McGinty Mountain

    3.8 (19 reviews)

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    Jason R.

    It's a decent hike. I liked that it is not very crowded/popular. It is an out and back trail. It is steep up enough to give you a decent workout without it being miserable. The views are pretty good at the top but rather average on most of the hike. There is a decent size parking area and the trail isn't too confusing to follow Distance 4.7 miles Duration 2 to 3 hrs Elevation Gain 1,300 ft

    Gina M.

    We will definitely do this trail again. We arrived at 830am and did half the trail which took about and hour there and back. The trail is 90% incline and rocky. There were only two other people on the trail with us. Nice views of El Cajon and Rancho San Diego. Did not see any snakes but there were tons of lizards and bees! Only downside was that people didn't pick up after their dogs so we had to avoid a lot of dog poop.

    Alex K.

    Small unpaved but free parking lot at the trailhead. The trail is quite uneven most of the way. The most interesting part about the hike is the views that open up on top.

    Start of trail
    Deanna C.

    This is a good hike. I'm beginning to run out of new places near El Cajon I can hike before I have to drive further and further out. Desperate for something new and close by with a moderate to hard difficulty, I stumbled upon this trail on Alltrails.com. :) I rate my trails based on a few things: Difficulty (I'm a regular hiker FYI), scenery, quaintness, traffic, and other things like the flora and fauna. Difficulty: easy moderate. Length is only 5 miles to the peak and back. Once you hit the last stretch to the peak it gets a bit steep, nothing terrible. Just remember though, if you aren't a regular hiker it may be more difficult. Traffic: Low. Saw most people Sunday afternoon as I was heading back, which was about 3-4 parties. 6 parties total. Landscape: high brush desert Elevation Gain: 1020 ft Length: 5 mi to peak and back Scenery: Not the best I've seen. There are houses surrounding the trail's preserve. Beyond that though, a great view of San Diego area and the surrounding mountains. Typical of the area. Quaintness: Not the best either. I like it very quiet, with hardly the note of civilization in the air. Not possible on this hike. Dogs barking, car alarms, moving vehicles... You hear what's happening below. Flora and Fauna: Very good for the area. Lots of birds singing, I saw a rabbit and lots of lizards. Flowers were blooming today. I don't know what plant species it was but something was smelling like freshly made Mexican tortillas, making me hungry. :P I rate this hike 3 stars due to the fact that it didn't stand out to me enough to desire a return hike. I would, however, recommend doing it once at the very least if you live in SD and want to find a different hike to try!

    Nicholas N.

    Awesome hike with plenty to see. Take it easy on the McGinty trail or hook left and take the full 19 mile 15 sub trail loop. BRING A MAP!

    Beautiful view
    Sr. Warda M.

    I'm not an experienced hiker and didn't make it to the top, but I loved that at almost any point, there were beautiful views. I gave it 4 stars because there was barely any shade. It was hot, it's August and 90 degrees. Better not to go in the summer. But, it was still worth it to me. When you get closer to the top it's pretty steep.

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

    A fun, short, but deceptively steep hike worth the view at the top. Fun when it's not too hot.

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    8 years ago

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    Review Highlights - McGinty Mountain

    A fun, short, but deceptively steep hike worth the view at the top.

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    Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area

    Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area

    (20 reviews)

    Was able to visit this hiking area during my Thanksgiving vacation, it was actually quite hot…read moreoutside for November. The parking lot for this place is off Honey Springs road, which is right off the main drag of Campo rd. The trailhead has a few notices and a map showing you the canyon with the different paths for trails. The great thing about this canyon hike is the many different ways you can go around it. The pathways are very well maintained and and wide enough to bring your dog with you. This is excellent place to go mountain biking, as it provides lots of grades and hills but I wouldn't come here to run due to the uneven slippery trails some of the way up the canyon side. The trail has only a bit of shady area, so it does get really hot when out in the sun, for November I was cooking out here around noon time. Overall Hollenbeck is a decent trail system out in east county Jamul. You will be treated to lots of great views once going up the canyon hills. There is lots of nature out here along with plenty of peace and quiet since it's not near any major roads. The trail doesn't seem like it ever too busy really, as no one was even there when I came during the day with a friend. This one of the better state maintained wildlife areas in the San Diego county areas, they do a great job at keeping it clean. Great place to come walking with your dog or taking your bike out for a short run.

    This was an enjoyable hike that is best to do in the morning. I came with my hubby and a friend who…read morehas done this hike numerous times. The lot has plenty of parking and not crowded at all for being a weekend. There is a porter potty (bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer) but no drinking facilities. I could see this hike being miserable on direct heat so do bring plenty of water. I drank about 48 oz on a relatively cool day (when we finished the hike it was 82 degrees). It took us just short of two hours (started at 8 am) to complete the loop. When you see the trail split we ventured to the right of the trail (you'll come back on the other side). After a nice relatively flat walk you'll start to ascend. This is the toughest part of the hike but it doesn't last long. Key is to go slow. The view from the top is fantastic and totally worth it. Then you'll descend and end up going through this abandoned corral. The scenery is very nice. Only a slight incline awaits you before it goes flat again and you branch off to the trail you've started. It's a very nice easy to moderate hike (moderate being the incline). Terrain can be slippery due to loose dirt, rocks, and gravel so wear shoes with good traction. Nice hike overall. I'd definitely do this again. My advice- come early to avoid the heat, bring plenty of water/snacks, shoes with traction, and hand sanitizer and toilet paper in case the toilet is not stocked.

    Secret Canyon Trail - Wildflowers in January!

    Secret Canyon Trail

    (6 reviews)

    Alltrails lists this as 'Horse thief Canyon', then I saw that I had this listing bookmarked on Yelp…read morefor sometime and noticed that they were the same thing! Distance: ~3.3mi., reverse out-and-back (you will be going uphill on the return trip) Difficulty: easy-intermediate-ish (~0.5mi ascent on your way out which can get the heart pumping!) Time: 1.5-2 hours Permit required?: No (according to permit site - https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/passes-permits/?cid=stelprdb5208699&width=full) Sights of Interest: Mini waterfall and pool Parking is in a big dirt lot just off of Japatul Lyons Valley Rd.. Turn in at Forest Rt 16S04. No bathrooms, so bring some T.P.! There are three gates as you approach - two smaller ones and a large one leading to a service road. Take the gate with a sign marking the 'Epinosa Trail to Secret Canyon Trail'. You'll end up on the service road either way. Continue on the service road until you see a sign off to the right that says 'Trail'. This is where you'll begin the descent into Horse thief Canyon. Eventually it evens out into a nice shady area alongside a stream. Lots of vegetation and growth everywhere, so make sure to *bring the bug spray*! There's a stream crossing after which you'll come upon the pool! Lots of great places to hang out on and relax on boulders. Water is pretty clean for swimming too. Awesome place to bring your dogs to cool off after the dusty trail. Just remember to pack your trash out if you plan on picnic-ing down at the pool! Most of your journey is on the Epinosa Trail and supposedly the Secret Canyon Trail is just beyond the pool, but the trail doesn't seem to continue anywhere beyond it. Great trail either way that experiences very little foot traffic so the area is very well preserved and wild! FYI, apparently this area experiences an influx of illegal immigrants and smugglers, but I think that was in earlier years. It was pretty safe when I went and I only had my dog in tow. But, I like to live life on the edge, so if you are wary come with a group!

    If you go during the week during normal business hours this trail is dead! It was our 2nd time here…read moreand there was only 1 car in the parking lot and we never even ran into the people. This is nice but also kind of scary especially since it's kind of in the middle of nowhere and you don't have great service but luckily I am alive today to write this review. The first time we went on this hike we missed the path and ended up just heading straight through on a dirt road so pay attention on your right hand side for a sign marked trail. This trail would have gotten more stars if it wasn't for the ridiculous amount of flies. I almost turned back because I couldn't stand them constantly flying in my face and in my ears. Maybe I am not an outdoorsy person if I cant handle that but it was hard to enjoy this hike when I was having to smack flies away the whole time. This is also one of those hikes that is fairly easy on the way down but tough on the way back because you have to go back up. I will say though that it was a really pretty hike and there is a creek at the bottom. We didn't go the whole way but did about a little over 3 miles of it. It's about a mile and a half to see the beginning of the creek. Maybe wearing bug spray might help with the flies?

    Viejas Mountain - The stone wind shelter at the summit; find the guestbook here!

    Viejas Mountain

    (14 reviews)

    Native San Diegan, but never been here. From the start this trail is all incline, rocky, dirt, some…read morenative plants/shrubs and yucca but no shade. I saw no animals or even bugs... came December 2020. It's about 1.5 miles uphill with descent elevation and 2.5 down. I had to take a couple breaks due to the elevation I think...as I live near sea level and I'm fairly in shape, but more of a Hiit workout, sprints, weightlifting type, so endurance isn't my strong suite... but the top is worth the struggle. On a clear day you can see the ocean and such a beautiful sunset. Note the top is very windy and cold. I'd say it's great for moderate hiker, and I wouldn't bring a pet but I've seen dogs up there. Pros: - nature!! -free workout -some parking but limited - steep but not crazy difficult - more of a locals only location Cons: - rough dirt/rocky rode to get there -limited parking - no bathroom, trash or water stations

    Spectacular views at the summit especially when facing North. Easy to access from Tavern Rd exit on…read morethe I-8. It's about 3 miles RT on red-clay dirt and very loose rocks. Although Alltrails lists it as intermediate, I was breathless climbing this thing. I would describe it as intermediate-difficult. I mean, the doughnut holes in the morning probably didn't help and it was after Christmas Day indulgences, but the terrain was still very rocky and the incline was CONSTANT, making the ascent a little more difficult than normal. It was the ultimate thigh burner! A great workout! I took about 2 hours to finish, but did spend a lot of time at the top. Had the summit all to myself! Breath-taking! Parking is on a truck trail and the trail head is only marked by a simple metal gate. According to Afoot and Afield a **Wilderness Pass is technically required**, however I got away without one (didn't realize I needed one). Again, the terrain is quite rocky on the clay dirt ascent, so do not bring your kids! They'll likely fall flat on their faces trying to navigate over the rocks. As a note-- the truck road is a dirt one, but well graded with some humps every so often to prevent speeding. Parking near the trailhead is still quite secluded and a draw for thieves, so make sure to hide your belongings before you head out!

    McGinty Mountain - hiking - Updated May 2026

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