Adventure ~ Distance ~ Goals ~ Altitude
This is a great hike and an easy drive from most places in San Diego. This is located on the 67 highway between Lakeside and Ramona. This area has several hikes to choose from with the most popular being the Iron Mountain Peak which is approximately 6 miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 800 feet.
This is one of my favorite local hikes because it has a nice rather gentle incline for the first 3/4 mile and is a great warm up before pushing upward on the more steady incline. Another nice feature is that about a mile into the hike, all the traffic noise fades away as you hike behind a few hills. The distance is perfect for making this a favorite training hike for locals who are getting ready for their backpacking trips. This hike also has a good number of geocaches with several large sized containers.
The lilacs bloom in the spring and the springs run in the wintertime or after a rain. Most people on the trail are nice and the view from the top is a 360 degree panorama with views of the ocean to the west and Cuyamaca Peak to the east.
