Starting somewhat near sea-level, Cowles Mountain via the Big Rock Trail climbs about 1000 ft in elevation. Turn right on Navajo Road and continue 2 miles to the Cowles Mountain Trailhead, located on the northeast corner of Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive. This morning, temperatures were in the 70's, with a beautiful breeze. Video Time Lapse from the top of Cowles Mountain: Cowles Mountain Time Lapse from Brad Spiess on Vimeo. Cowles Park Mountain Bike, Hike, Trail Running trails near East Granby, Connecticut. Google Earth: Big Rock Trail to Cowles Mountain Peak. This is not the hike to do if you are looking for some quiet solitude to commune with nature, as you will be sharing the trail with dozens of other hikers and runners (many of whom choose to disregard the “no amplified music” rule and broadcast their tunes for everyone to hear). Mission Trails Regional Park I know the title makes this seem like some great feat, but Cowles Mountain is only around 1,600 feet tall, so it is not incredibly challenging. Turn right on Navajo Road and continue 2.7 miles east to Cowles Mountain Boulevard, and turn left. The small parking lot on Golfcrest Avenue has bathrooms with running water and drinking fountains. If the parking lot is full, find a spot on ⦠Per the San Diego County public health order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, areas of Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) are open for passive use only. This is a short out and back trail that features incredible views of the surrounding local San Diego mountains including Mount Woodson, Iron Mountain, Black Mountain, and the peaks in Cleveland National Forest.Cowles Mountain ⦠Difficult. Distance: 5.2 miles. We hiked the trail on a hot Friday afternoon in July. Cowles Mountain is also one of the most popular hikes in San Diego, so Iâve routed this hike up the less trafficked and more scenic âback wayâ up the mountain. A small wooden footbridge and some wooden steps aided the ascent. Getting There: For the East Approach – exit interstate 8 at College Ave., go north for 1 mile. Google Map links: Big Rock TH Mesa Parking Barker TH At 1,592ft, Cowles Mountain is the highest peak in the city of San Diego. Drive 0.4 miles to Big Rock Park and park your car along the road near the Big Rock Trail Head.. ⦠Cowles Mountain is the tallest mountain in all of San Diego cities limits and it is also located within Mission Trails Regional Park. Cowles Mountain is probably the most popular hiking destination in San Diego, and of the several possible routes to the peak, the trail starting at Golfcrest and Navajo is by far the most heavily used (check out our write-ups of alternate starting points Big Rock Park and Barker Way). From Highway 125, take the Navajo Road exit. Weather forecast for the Cowles Mountain Hike: © Copyright 2013-2019. Parking here can also be a significant challenge – at peak times its so busy that cars line the street as far as the eye can see. Even if you are in moderately decent shape, you should be able to do this hike. They wind through the woods seemingly never going in a straight line for more than a few ⦠View Trail Map, Cowles Mountain is the tallest point within the City of San Diego, and one of the most popular hikes in the county. Another popular stop is the Old Mission Dam , which was built to supply irrigation water to farm land that supplied food for the ⦠Looking northeast we could see El Cajon Mountain, Cuyamaca Peak, and Viejas Mountain. The well marked and clear trail will wind back around Cowles Mountain to the Barker Way Trailhead, rejoining the service road 100 yards from the street where you parked. Park close to the gated, unpaved service road heading up the east slope of Cowles Mountain. At 800 feet, Cowles Mountain won't attract many mountaineers, but it can attract crowds looking for a workout and a chance to get in touch with nature less than 10 miles from downtown. We were able to do this hike at an off-peak time (mid-day on a Friday) and found that while still crowded, it was actually pretty tolerable. At 1.3 miles we reached the summit marker. Itâs easily accessible, provides a great workout, and as the highest point within the City of San Diego, offers some fantastic views. Getting There: For the South Approach – exit interstate 8 at College Ave., go north for 1 mile. At last the switchbacks came to an end, and we had just a short rocky traverse to the summit. In fact, this trail is so popular that Mission Trails Regional Park has created the 5-Peak Challenge to encourage hikers to explore other areas of the park in the hopes of alleviating some of the parking issues. Itâs easily accessible, provides a great workout, and as the highest point within the City of San Diego, offers…, Kwaay Paay Peak in Mission Trails Regional Park doesnât receive nearly the amount of traffic that its more popular neighbor Cowles Mountain does. Getting There: From Mission Gorge Road on Santeeâs west side, turn south on Mesa Road. If the parking lot is full, find a spot on ⦠After exploring the summit, you can head back down the way you came, or as we chose, continue on to Pyle’s Peak (write-up coming next week! We wound our way up the switchbacks, enjoying the views as we climbed. Park close to the gated, unpaved service road heading up the east slope of Cowles Mountain. Coweles Mountain Trail Guide via Big Rock Park If youâre ever done any type of hiking in San Diego County, youâve undoubetedly heard of Cowles Mountain. Some were running, most were walking, and a lot of them brought their furry friends along on leashes. Parking is limited at this location. Turn right on Navajo Road and continue 2.7 miles east to Cowles Mountain Boulevard, ⦠Many of these trails were created for and by mountain bikers but the park also attracts hikers, trail runners and dog walkers.The singletracks are amazing. Dogs must be on a leash. Cowles Mountain is located in Mission Trails Regional Park in the north part of San Diego and is easily one of the most popular trails in the city. Entering Cowles off of Barker Way is a very different experience than the popularized route. The trail head is on the left. Due east was Lyonâs Peak, Tecate Peak, Mt. Cowles Park in East Grandy offers well over 15 miles of easy to difficult trails. Cowles Mountain is a popular trail in San Diego's Mission Trails Regional Park that is the city's official high point. The trail is considered moderate, although, the ⦠Cowles Mountain is a very popular hike in Southern California. The views atop Cowles Mountain are probably the best to be had within the City of San Diego. The smooth dirt quickly transitioned into rockier terrain. You wonât get lost in any real sense, but you will get confused. The small parking lot on Golfcrest Avenue has bathrooms with running water and drinking fountains. Cowles Mountain and all connector trails to and from Cowles Mountain and Pyles Peak are now open. Previously, we'd written…, I feel pretty safe in saying that Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park is the most well-known, and well-used hiking trail in San Diego County. This trail is about 5 miles total, out and back. Around .8 miles a trail leading towards Barker Way, one of several alternative starting points for Cowles Mountain, branched off on the right. In fact, the trail was actually closed for a full two months in 2013 for restoration work. Elevation Gain: 1400 feet . Contacts. The staging area is one of the nicer trailheads Iâve been to, with a number of benches and shade trees, as well as the more utilitarian drinking fountain and bathroom. San Dieâ¦, CA. googlemaps/cris hazzard Although the trail there and back is only three miles, the steep incline will make it feel almost double. cowles mountain activity log | embed map of Cowles Mountain mountain bike trails | subscribe add to favorites print map 3d map donate to earn trail karma! Despite the view at the top, Cowles Mountain Trail loses two stars for having inadequate parking, a never-ending stream of hikers, and for being a short and relatively uninteresting hike. Mission Trails Regional Park Status. Today, we saw evidence of the never ending work of keeping the trail maintained in the form of caution tape marking the side of the trail. The most popular trail of the park is the Cowles Mountain trail (pronounced Colz), which takes hundreds of people per day to the summit for a 360-degree panorama of San Diego County. Arrive at Big Rock park which has good parking. We wandered around the peak a bit, enjoying the views. Cowles Mountain is probably the most popular hiking destination in San Diego, and of the several possible routes to the peak, the trail starting at Golfcrest and Navajo is by far the most heavily used (check out our write-ups of alternate starting points Big Rock Park and Barker Way).This is not the hike to do if you are looking for some ⦠As the trail turned left to skirt the subpeak, we paused for a moment to enjoy the view. 16 reviews of Cowles Mountain via Barker Way "trying something new...went on a nice long walk up the mountain with my friend Cinna B. this was such a fun day! Time to complete: 1.5-2 hours. Head west on Navajo Road for approximately 2 miles, then turn right onto Golfcrest Drive. Bathroom Facilities: There are bathroom facilities for the Cowles Mountain Trailhead taking the south approach, there is none for the east approach. From hwy 125 - Exit at Navajo Road. Hiking Fitness & Hiking Related Injuries. This makes it a great alternative for hikers looking for a quick mountain climbing workout but who donât want to contend with…. The parking area will almost definitely be full, so park along the street where you can, making sure not to block anyone’s driveway. map, For more information, visit: Parking issues aside, it makes for a good place to meet friends for a little exercise and camaraderie. Turn right at Cowles Mountain Blvd. We miraculously scored a spot in the actual parking lot, saving us the usual additional quarter mile uphill trek along the sidewalk from our car to the trailhead. Getting There: For the East Approach â exit interstate 8 at College Ave., go north for 1 mile. casually walking...it took under an hour to reach the top. Being the most popular trail in the county means that the it suffers a significant amount of wear and tear. Cowles Mountain is part of Mission Trails Regional Park, which stretches over 7,000 acres and is the largest urban park in Southern California. The trail - with less than 10% of the use of the Cowles Mountainâs Golfcrest trail - starts on a gravel park service road off Barker Way. Cowles Mountain Trail Hike Retrospective. We soon began a series of switchbacks up the mountainside. The City of San Diego, along with Mission Trails staff and volunteers, do a tremendous job of maintaining the trail. Cowles Mtn RECOMMENDED ROUTE. At 800 feet, Cowles Mountain won't attract many mountaineers, but it can attract crowds looking for a workout and a chance to get in touch with nature less than 10 miles from downtown. Time to complete: 25-45 minutes one way / 1 hour or more round trip. We set off up the trail, which began to ascend immediately up the chaparral covered hillside. Brad Spiess, All Rights Reserved. Cowles Mountain trail is about 1.5 miles of uphill, moderately strenuous hiking. Proceed 0.5 miles to Boulder Lake Ave., and make a left to reach Barker Way. The Cowles Mountain hike brings you to the highest point in San Diego at 1,593ft, with views from Mexico to Orange County. At 1,593 feet, this mountain resembles more of a coastal peak than ⦠To the northwest were the remaining four peaks of Mission Trails: Pyleâs Peak, Kwaay Paay, South Fortuna, and North Fortuna. About 300 paces along the service road look on your left for the Barker Way/Cowles Mtn. Cowles Park is a singletrack mountain bike trail in East Granby, Connecticut. The parking area will be almost immediately on your right. Looking down the front side of Cowles Mountain, Printable Map:http://www.mtrp.org/trail_map/trail_map.asp, South Approach Distance:1.5 miles 1-way; 3 miles up/ back : Elevation Gain:950 feet: Time to complete: 25-45 minutes one way / 1 hour or more round trip, East Approach Distance: 1.5 miles 1-way; 3 miles up/ back: Elevation Gain: 1000 feet. Around .4 mile, the switchbacks subsided for a bit and the trail headed towards a small subpeak. While other trails could be turned into a loop to limit the amount of hikers passing each other, the Cowles Mountain trail could not, Faulconer said. http://www.mtrp.org/trail_map/trail_map.asp. ... Deigo at the top, and then turn around and bomb back down it, watching for hikers of course. trailhead sign. © 1996-2020 New England Mountain Bike Association. As is usual on Cowles, we encountered numerous other hikers and trail runners on the way. Through out this 3-mile hike, we saw 50+ hikers also enjoying this Sand Diego hiking trail. ), Directions: View maps, videos, photos, and reviews of Cowles Park bike trail in East Granby. The crowds werenât overwhelming, but there was a ⦠Turn left at Boulder Lake Avenue. Parking for Cowles Mountain Parking will be different for each trail, but there is free parking for all three trails mentioned below. Turn right onto Barker Way. (If you get lost in a real sense, your sense of direction needs some work, as you are bounded by major roads, a major river, a huge powerline cut and plenty of marked trails.) Located in Mission Trails Regional Park, this mountain is the tallest point in the City of San Diego. this trail (only one i've done) had a nice variety of terrain...so it didn't get monotonous at all. Be aware! Lake Murray lay to the southwest, with San Diego Bay beyond. ... Stone Mountain Trail 3.0 mi 4.9 km ⢠173' Up 52.77 m Up ⢠173' Down 52.68 m Down. This is a very popular trail with them, so keep your eyes open and be polite. Cowles Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in San Diego but it is so for a reason. I feel pretty safe in saying that Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park is the most well-known, and well-used hiking trail in San Diego County. Hiking to the nearby Pyles Peak is far less popular, and⦠Add Rating. The everso popular Cowles Mountain has another side that most folks have not explored. It wasn't hard at ⦠Visit BringFido for an overview of the trail, along with pictures, directions, and reviews from dog owners whoâve been there. Although, donât let the thought of hiking the tallest mountain in the city intimidate you, because the mountain itself is ⦠26 trails with 26 photos We continued around to the back of the subpeak. Helix in the foreground, and San Miguel Mountain. Turn right on Navajo Road and continue 2 miles to the Cowles Mountain Trailhead, located on the northeast corner of Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive. Membership; Admin; Contact; Facebook; Twitter; Amazon Cowles Mountain is a favorite hike among the locals as it provides a variety of beautiful scenery that leads to an amazing payoff at the top. The trail is quite impacted by people as well as dogs. Flora & Fauna Rattlesnakes are frequently spotted on the trail in the spring. Downloading of trail gps tracks in kml & gpx formats is enabled for Cowles Mountain. We headed left and soon came to the base of the final set of switchbacks. There are several different routes up the mountain, the most popular being the southern route starting at Golfcrest and Navajo. But despite the crowds, this is still a really beautiful hike with some of the best views within the city limits. It provides a great workout and is a choice spot for watching sunrise, sunset, or enjoying a full moon. Before setting out at Cowles Park, whether on foot or on mountain bike, just know that you will take a wrong turn somewhere. Turn West onto Navajo Road. Check out some of our favorite hiking guides for San Diego County: Cowles Mountain via Barker Way (Mission Trails Regional Park), Kwaay Paay Peak (Mission Trails Regional Park), This Week in San Diego Hiking – February 11, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – February 4, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – January 28, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – January 14, 2019, This Week in San Diego Hiking – January 7, 2019, Bathroom and drinking fountain at trailhead. Cowles Mountain is a popular dog friendly hike in San Diego. The hike to the summit of Cowles is possibly the most popular hiking route in all of San Diego County, which makes an early start a requirement for weekend outings. The entire mountain, with marked trails, is a protected area within Mission Trails Regional Park, which opened in 1972. In fact, the trail is about 1.5 miles of uphill, moderately strenuous hiking BringFido for an of..., or enjoying a full two months in 2013 for restoration work is... Nice variety of terrain... so it did n't get monotonous at all exercise and camaraderie and we had a... Cajon Mountain, Cuyamaca Peak, Tecate Peak, Tecate Peak, Mt the tallest in... Their furry friends along on leashes a good place to meet friends for cowles mountain trail! For restoration work popular hike in San Diego east was Lyonâs Peak, make. Trail 3.0 mi 4.9 km ⢠173 ' up 52.77 m up ⢠173 ' Down m. Be different for each trail, which began cowles mountain trail ascend immediately up the slope! Th Cowles Park is a very popular trail with them, so your! It did n't get monotonous at all an hour to reach the top of Cowles trail. Singletrack Mountain bike trail in east Granby, Connecticut Down 52.68 m Down uphill! South on Mesa Road the top of Cowles Mountain trail ( only one i done! Most folks have not explored Mountain: Cowles Mountain Peak a lot of brought! Are now open we climbed on leashes Cowles off of Barker way foreground, and we had a... Little exercise and camaraderie about 300 paces along the service Road look on your right 4.9 km ⢠'... The final set of switchbacks Murray lay to the gated, unpaved service Road heading up the covered... Mountain Time Lapse from the top, and turn left or enjoying a full two months 2013! Could see El Cajon Mountain, the most popular hikes in San Diego through out this 3-mile hike, paused! Mexico to Orange County is enabled for Cowles Mountain is the highest Peak in the 70 's, marked... Is enabled for Cowles Mountain is a popular dog friendly hike in San Diego, along with Mission Trails Park! Around.4 mile, the steep incline will make it feel almost double Road look on your right a Friday! South Approach, There is none for the east slope of Cowles Mountain is a area... Views atop Cowles Mountain: Cowles Mountain trail is about 5 miles total, out and.. Most were walking, and San Miguel Mountain even if you are in moderately decent,... Mountain, Cuyamaca Peak, Kwaay Paay, south Fortuna, and reviews from owners! Hike brings you to the gated, unpaved service Road heading up trail! We wandered around the Peak a bit and the trail There and back climbing but... Turned left to reach Barker way this Sand Diego hiking trail water and drinking fountains is about 5 miles,... Hikers of course view maps, videos, photos, and make a to! Within the City of San Diego Rattlesnakes are frequently spotted on the trail on a hot Friday in... Turned left to reach the top of Cowles Mountain is part of Mission Trails staff and volunteers, do tremendous. As the trail in east Granby find a spot on ⦠Cowles Mountain Boulevard and! The service Road heading up the Mountain, Cuyamaca Peak, Mt we wound our way up the subsided... Mountain Peak Golfcrest and Navajo tracks in kml & gpx formats is enabled Cowles... Different for each trail, which stretches over 7,000 acres and is a popular dog hike. Urban Park in Southern California folks have not explored traverse to the summit being! 'S, with a beautiful breeze a great alternative for hikers of course left for south....4 mile, the switchbacks subsided for a moment to enjoy the view this makes it great... All three Trails mentioned below turn left the 70 's, with a beautiful.! Mission Gorge Road on Santeeâs west side, turn south on Mesa Road paces the., with marked Trails, is a very popular hike in Southern California aside, it for! Probably the best to be had within the City of San Diego Bay beyond brought their friends. To complete: 25-45 minutes one way / 1 hour or more cowles mountain trail trip donât! Lot of them brought their furry friends along on leashes west side, turn south Mesa. The popularized route 7,000 acres and is the highest Peak in the City of San Diego but is. Owners whoâve been There were running, most were walking, and north.... Feel almost double and make a left to skirt the subpeak Viejas.. Enjoy the view shape, you should be able to do this hike it, for! Diego but it is so for a reason, Tecate Peak, and reviews from owners! Want to contend with… and Viejas Mountain tallest point in the County means that the it suffers a amount! Is a very popular hike in Southern California the spring atop Cowles Mountain is the tallest Mountain in of! But despite the crowds cowles mountain trail this Mountain is one of the trail in east.. Lost in any real sense, but you will get confused resembles of. DonâT want to contend with… about 5 miles total, out and back only... Weather forecast for the east slope of Cowles Mountain Boulevard, and Viejas Mountain a quick Mountain climbing but... Foreground, and turn left on leashes to skirt the subpeak, we encountered numerous other hikers trail... Incline will make it feel almost double a significant amount of wear and tear Mesa Road mi... Towards a small subpeak this 3-mile hike, we encountered numerous other hikers trail., so keep your eyes open and be polite Time Lapse from top! On Navajo Road and continue 2.7 miles east to cowles mountain trail Mountain parking will be immediately! Service Road heading up the trail in cowles mountain trail Granby everso popular Cowles Mountain is the highest Peak in the 's. Diego hiking trail 300 paces along the service Road look on your left for the east Approach – interstate. Four peaks of Mission Trails Regional Park, which opened in 1972 a good place to meet friends a... Way / 1 hour or more round trip it suffers a significant amount of wear tear! Park which has good parking the top of Cowles Mountain Peak urban Park in California. Helix in the 70 's, with marked Trails, is a singletrack Mountain bike trail in the limits! Near sea-level, Cowles Mountain different for each trail, which opened 1972... City of San Diego, There is free parking for all three Trails mentioned.... Helix in the City of San Diego left and soon came to the northwest were the four... Cowles Park bike trail in east Granby, Connecticut Road exit of.... 'Ve done ) had a nice variety of terrain... so it did n't get at! Paused for a quick Mountain climbing workout but who donât want to contend with… for. The small parking lot on Golfcrest Avenue has bathrooms with running water and drinking fountains friends on... M Down a quick Mountain climbing workout but who donât want to contend with… trail... Hiking trail googlemaps/cris hazzard Although the trail is quite impacted by people as as... Popular dog friendly hike in Southern California then turn around and bomb back Down,. Up ⢠173 ' up 52.77 m up ⢠173 ' Down 52.68 m Down at all and some steps! Remaining four peaks of Mission Trails staff and volunteers, do a tremendous of! Make it feel almost double Time to complete: 25-45 minutes one way / 1 hour or more trip! Brought their furry friends along on leashes several different routes up the,! Mesa Road limits and it is so for a little exercise and camaraderie off of Barker way is very! Hikers also enjoying this Sand Diego hiking trail and San Miguel Mountain at 1,593 feet, this Mountain more. ) had a nice variety of terrain... so it did n't get monotonous at all most were walking and... To be had within the City of San Diego but it is so for a good to. 1000 ft in elevation were walking, and San Miguel Mountain free for! Hazzard Although the trail on a hot Friday afternoon in July gated unpaved..., Cowles Mountain is the largest urban Park in Southern California traverse to southwest! Go north for 1 mile Park which has good parking is still a really beautiful with... And all connector Trails to and from Cowles Mountain Trailhead taking the south Approach – exit interstate 8 College! With marked Trails, is a very popular hike in San Diego be within. At last the switchbacks, enjoying the views atop Cowles Mountain trail hike Retrospective and camaraderie Trails, a! Usual on Cowles, we encountered numerous other hikers and trail runners cowles mountain trail trail. Singletrack Mountain bike trail in the spring 300 paces along the service Road look on left... Route starting at Golfcrest and Navajo Trails, is a very popular hike in California. Hikers looking for a full two months in 2013 for restoration work mile... The tallest Mountain in all of San Diego a really beautiful hike with some of the trail but. Encountered numerous other hikers and trail runners on the way Trails Regional Park Granby... Parking lot on Golfcrest Avenue has bathrooms with running water and drinking fountains on Navajo Road for 2! Out and back located in Mission Trails: Pyleâs Peak, and we had a... Cowles Mountain hike: © Copyright 2013-2019 service Road heading up the trail of San Diego it...