Hiking the Cowles Mountain Trail: The Tallest Peak in San Diego, California
Distance: 3.0 miles / 4.8 km
Located in the beautiful Mission Trails of San Diego, the Cowles Mountain Trail is one of Southern California’s most popular day hikes, as it’s known for being the highest point in San Diego at 1,591 ft. (485 m).
On top of this, Cowles Mountain makes for one of San Diego’s best sunrise and sunset hikes, with unobstructed, panoramic views on all sides of the peak!
However, this all goes without saying, if you have the opportunity to hike Cowles Mountain on a weekday rather than a weekend, you can have a much less crowded experience, as opposed to how busy the photos below show the trailhead on a beautiful Saturday morning.
Cowles Mountain Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Cowles Mountain Trail is located in either the small public parking area adjacent to the trailhead, or, if the parking lot is full, parking can easily be found on both sides of Golfcrest Dr. near the trailhead.
Google Maps Directions: Cowles Mountain Trail
Hiking Checklist - Southern California
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Southern California.
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
Sun Shirt w/ Hood - A quality sun shirt can be your best friend on a trail with minimal shade, which can be found in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
Hiking the Cowles Mountain Trail
For nearly the entire hike, the Cowles Mountain Trail constantly climbs in elevation, gaining a little over 900 ft. (274 m) in 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the trailhead to the summit.
That being said, Cowles Mountain Trail can mentally be broken up into two 'halves'—both the lower and upper mountain—making the hike feel a bit easier/ faster than it might seem at first.
Shortly after the trailhead, the Cowles Mountain hike will begin climbing a series of roughly 37 switchbacks—depending on how you count—that will continue for nearly the length of the trail.
Additionally, as it should be obvious from these photos, there is nearly no shade on the Cowles Mountain Trail, which is why I recommend hiking with a long-sleeved hooded sun shirt, like the ones shown below.
Upper Cowles Mountain
After 1.0 miles (1.6 km), the Cowles Mountain Trail begins this long straightaway just prior to the Barker Way Trail junction.
It is here that I like to think of this as the transition to the upper mountain, with only about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) left until the summit.
Cowles Mountain-Barker Way Junction
Once at the Barker Way Trail junction, go left to continue toward the summit of Cowles Mountain.
On a different note, the Barker Way Trail is more or less a less-crowded route to the top of Cowles Mountain, at only an extra 0.1 miles (0.2 km) roundtrip.
On top of this, the Barker Way Trail makes for a great trail run back down, utilizing a few side streets to create a roughly 4.5-mile (7.2 km) loop, with the main Cowles Mountain Trail.
After the Barker Way junction, the Cowles Mountain Trail climbs another 10 switchbacks up to the loop trail just below the summit.
Cowles Mountain Summit Loop
Just below the summit of Cowles Mountain, the trail splits into a loop around the top.
While both routes lead up to the top, the trail to the left is a bit more direct, making it the more common of the two paths to the summit.
Cowles Mountain
From the 1,591-ft. (485 m) summit of Cowles Mountain, you can see beautiful panoramic views in all directions, which is why I mentioned previously that Cowles makes for one of the best all-around sunrise and sunset hikes in San Diego!
More Nearby Adventures
If you’re interested in reading about some more amazing adventures nearby, check out my separate posts below!
Best Way to Find Places to Stay!
Wherever I travel, I love to start my search for places to stay on VRBO.
Even if I don’t end up booking through them, I think it’s one of the best ways to see what’s in the area!
Washington
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Discover Cars!
Safety
Across Southern California, most dangers associated with hiking are commonly related to summer heat/ dehydration, poison oak, as well as a number of venomous snakes that can be found across the region.
Therefore, it is important to hike with plenty of water, avoid hiking during the hottest parts of the day come summer, and learn how to identify Poison Oak, as it can be found on any number of Southern California trails, extending far up the state, including the Oregon Coast and into Washington.
Finally, to learn more about what venomous snakes can be found across California, I recommend learning more about the subject in this separate article.
Disclaimer
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