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Hike in San Diego County, California |
A six-mile loop through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park with an elevation gain of about 800 feet. Schad says it's a good area to spot mule deer and coyotes. We've done this hike before, most recently about two years ago.
Dogs are not allowed on the trails in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
The Dyar Spring Trail runs through grassy meadows where foxtails and other sitcky plants can be a nuisance. Don't wear fluffy socks!
Meet at the large Sweetwater Parking Area near mile 4.8 on
where it crosses the Sweetwater River in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
(Thomas 1216 upper F2). Parking is free.
SUGGESTED ROUTE from San Diego:
Take 
east
to exit 40
(, Descanso, Japatul Vly Rd).
Go north on to the
parking area. Don't miss the place where makes a left turn!
This hike has been cross-posted to the Outdoors Club Web site.
The nominal starting time is 10:00 AM. I will be at the parking area by 9:30, and at 10:15 we will hit the trail.
There will be the usual optional meeting at an ice cream parlor after the hike, probably at Ice Cream World in Alpine.
Call 858-675-8706 for the latest weather information or check your favorite weather page on the Internet. (I like www.accuweather.com.) Wear good hiking shoes and layered clothing and take lunch, water and sun protection. Take a camera if you wish. Call or send E-mail if you have questions.
RAIN? Heavy rain will cancel the hike. If there is only a little rain, we may still hike. In doubtful cases, I will wait at the trailhead. You must decide whether the weather is tolerable and take appropriate protective clothing. If anyone else shows up, we will hike.
CONTACT:
Note: We haven't had serious injuries on our hikes, but the insanity of current liability decisions prompts the following: These hikes are not officially sponsored by any group or individual. No one assumes liability for anyone else. So don't tease the rattlesnakes and don't scare the horses!
SUGGESTION: Check this page a few days before the hike for any last-minute instructions.
We had fairly good weather -- it was warm and sunny, but not excessively hot, with very little wind. Fourteen people showed up for the hike, and we all made it to the summit and back. A latecomer chased after us and also made it to the summit and back.
The views from the top were quite good, but distant vistas were slightly obscured by haze. (When the air is really clear, you can see the ocean from Cuyamaca Peak.)
We encountered a small snake (probably not a rattlesnake) on the access road. It slipped away so fast that nobody got a picture of it.
Photographs from previous hikes.
Topographic maps from previous hikes, when available, will be archived on the Maps page.
Scanned topographic maps for San Diego, Orange, Imperial and Riverside Counties are available on CD-ROM by request, or by visiting www.efghmaps.com. These are public domain images in GIF format with no restrictions on use. E-mail the Webmaster for details.
Aerial photographs, which are sometimes helpful to hikers, can be downloaded from TerraServer 6.0.
A great deal of information about the Fallbrook area, including a list of hikes in the area, is available on Tom Chester's Web site at www.tchester.org.