What you need: 33oz water, orange or a small snack, good hiking shoes (no running shoes or sneakers, too slippery on the rocks and gravel)
How long: Distance wise just over 3 miles round tip. Time wise, ive done this hike in as little as 60 minutes round trip, today 90 including stop at top.
How to get there: From Interstate 8 – Take 8 to the College Avenue exit. Proceed north on College Avenue 1.0 miles to Navajo Road. Turn right and proceed on Navajo Road 1.9 miles to Golfcrest Drive. Turn left on Golfcrest Drive to enter parking lot.
From Route 52 – Take 52 to the Mast Blvd. exit in Santee. Driving east, turn left onto Mast Blvd., go under the freeway to the first traffic signal (West Hills Parkway) and turn right. Driving west, turn right onto Mast Blvd. and right onto West Hills Parkway. Take West Hills Parkway to Mission Gorge Road and turn right. Proceed down Mission Gorge Road 1.9 miles to Golfcrest Drive. Turn left onto Golfcrest Drive and proceed to the top of the hill. The staging area is on the left at the intersection of Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive.
A hike to consider if you are looking for a relatively easy, short, scenic workout kind of hike is Cowles Mountain, a very popular trail which is part of the Mission Trails Regional Park system in Santee, CA. Besides Torrey Pines this may be the most traveled trail in the county, so much so that the main trail-head start at Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive. presents quite the parking challenge, especially on the weekends.
There are other trail-head starts to this hike but on this day I choose the Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive start. Cowles (pronounced, Coals) is the highest peak in the City of San Diego at nearly 1600 feet. Although not long at just over 3 miles up and back, the trail is all climb based on a series of switchbacks the entire ascent to the summit. This hike is very doable, offering a physical challenge, great views of Pt. Loma, San Diego, Mexico, the Ocean, mountain peaks of the area including El Cajon Mountain and of course the therapeutic benefits of the hike. As far as I am concerned not enough can be said of the therapeutic benefits of hiking.
Just the fact you are out in nature provides a calm and relaxed state. Combine that with the physical component, which gets the endorphins, flowing producing a positive feel good state of mind as well as many of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste) being stimulated and satisfied, and the sense of accomplishment finishing a demanding task. As far as the physical demands of the trail, this past summer a lot of the trail was maintananced and many of the eroded beat up sections of the trail were cleaned up.
However, the hard packed rocky composition of the trail still remains thus restoring the hike that Cowles is known for. In fact, it is also these rocky spots along the way that have caused more than one hiker a sprained ankle or a ride off the mountain in a helicopter, ss always be careful and take your time.
Besides Iron Mountain I call Cowles my go to trail that provides me with what I want from a hike; challenge, a physical workout, a place to get a mental break and a mountainous adventure within the confines of the city.
So if you are looking for a quick fix of a hike that is within driving distance of where ever you are in the County, Cowles Mountain is the hike for you.