#mountlaguna

Mount Laguna Recreational Area is an easy and worthwhile day trip or overnight trip from San Diego. We stopped by for a few hours on the way from San Diego to Anza Borrego State Park and really enjoyed hiking to Garnet Peak. We would have liked to stay in the area and camp overnight had it been a bit warmer. Though this area can be snowy or icy in the winter, we were lucky to have good enough weather to drive and hike.

View on the Garnet Peak hike

Quick Facts on Mount Laguna

Mount Laguna Recreational Area is part of Cleveland National Forest. It is the only alpine area in southern California.

Parking in the area requires either a national park pass or a $5 day pass, which you can purchase online.

In the winter it is popular to go sledding or snowshoeing (we read online that people rent snowshoes from REI in San Diego and bring them out here).

Winter snowstorms are a risk and can close down the main road, Sunrise Highway, so it's worth checking the weather in advance.

It can also get really windy; it's worth checking WindAlert before hiking.

Hiking

Hiking on the PCT

(1) Garnet Peak via the Pacific Coast Trail (~2 miles out and back for a total of ~4 miles, moderate): We were pleasantly surprised by what a beautiful hike this was -- it was nicer than some hikes we did in national parks!

Great views from the PCT

Hike Summary: The first mile or so, which is on the PCT, is mostly flat and very easy, with lovely views of rolling hills and stark mountains. The second half of the hike is the ascent up Garnet Trail to get to the peak, and we agree it is moderately difficult and worth bringing a hiking pole. The views from the top are pretty awesome. The hike took us nearly 2 hours in total. Note that the trail is surrounded by some very spiky plants, so definitely wear long sleeves and long pants in case you get scratched!

At the peak!

Weather: It was unpleasantly windy for the first 0.5 mile or so but after that the wind was rarely noticeable. We started the hike around 11am on a sunny Friday in early February, and the weather app said it was 33 degrees outside, but with the sun it did not feel as cold. Still, a warm hat, gloves, warm hiking socks, and a few layers were definitely needed.

Parking: We parked along the road at the Penny Pines trailhead. where a few other cars were parked as well. That said, the trail was almost empty at the time we hiked it.

(2) Desert View Trail (1 mile, easy): We didn't do this hike, but we read that it has stunning views of the Anza Borrego desert thousands of feet below. The trail starts near the Burnt Rancheria campground.

(3) Sunset Trail to Water of the Woods: We didn't do this hike either, but we read that it was recommended. AllTrails reviews, however, mentioned that it was not well maintained -- some said there were some fallen trees and wayfinding was not obvious. We were a bit confused about the trail length, as AllTrails says 8 miles but a blog we read says 3 miles.

Camping

Burnt Rancheria Campground: We read good things about this campground. It is open April-October. We happened to drive by the campground and noticed that there is a Mount Laguna visitor center and a general store very closeby. The Garnet Peak trailhead was also only a few minutes' drive away.

Mount Laguna Campground: We also read good things about this campground. It seemed to have availability when we were visiting in February,  but we thought that it might be too cold for tent camping in the winter.