Stonewall Peak Trail

What a relaxing and beautiful hike! We drove a little over an hour from San Diego to check out this hike, and it was well worth it.
We first stopped at the visitor center to get more information about the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Then headed to the foot of the trail, where you’ll park across the street in the park parking lot ($ 8).
In the beginning the hike is rather steep, but before you know it it’ll flatten out. It was a moderately difficult hike, however the heat is what made it a little more challenging.
The hike switched between flat trails and some steeper sections. When you get near the top there are huge boulders for you to relax on — we saw some people with snacks, blankets, etc.
You’ll know you’re near the top when you see the stone steps. Once you get to the top you’ll be in awe of the beautiful view! You’re able to see Cuyamaca Lake and for miles beyond.
I can’t wait to go back!

After the holidays the carbs were catching up with me. No matter how fast I ran, there were cookies around every corner, plus cheezy things — oh man, all the fooooooods! Needless to say, some activity was needed before I turned into a couch potato so official that I got a Idaho drivers license.
Some pals suggested a drive out East to do this hike and it was really lovely. For a weekend it wasn’t too busy early in the morning — although it got busier as the day went on. We started early and cold, some snow still on the ground. The first few minutes are a steep incline, then it settles into slow gains on pleasant switchbacks. the views get better and better as you climb higher and higher, and it takes about an hour to reach the top at a nice pace, about 2 miles up.
Once at the top the views are spectacular. There is not a lot of room up the stone steps to the view point, so switching out with other hikers is a polite must.
Going down was SUPER muddy because the sun had started to melt the frozen ground and the little bit of snow. Its okay because Nature!
Parking is across the street, for 8 $, at the park.
You know what this hike put me in the mood for? Pie.

Mellow hike with great views of cuyamaca lake and surrounding mountains. Nice easy incline, great for beginners. I would consider this a warm up for an avid hiker like myself.
$ 8 to park in lot and there’s always rangers checking so don’t skip it. Bathrooms are clean!

Great hike. Steady climb. If you’re out of shape, won’t be that easy, but worth it. Beautiful views. Love all the rocks on the trail. Few flat surfaces, but rugged the majority of the hike. It’s a definite yes, hike it.

If I am able to experience the outdoors and fresh air, it gets an easy five-​stars! Stonewall Peak was such a treat and happy get away from the hustle and bustle of other popular hikes in SD. It’s also an EASY 4-​mile hike round trip which would take you around 2 hours at a happy stroll. I already know why many aren’t keen to make a trek out to this BEAUTIFUL location because, as many have mentioned, you must pay to park at the Paso Picacho campground (it’s $ 8 for an all day pass). A friend of mine has told me that there is a way to avoid this, but I haven’t tried it out for myself yet (so excuse me if my directions are vague!). Apparently, taking this route does make the hike longer (5 – 6 miles or so roundtrip), but Stonewall is already easy to begin with so I see no problem with this. This is what my friend advised:
–Park on Milk Ranch Rd. at the first turnout you see
–Walk back up the road and proceed into the horse camp
–Somewhere in the horse camp, there should be trails leading up to the mountain and the peak
I can vouch for a trail leading up to the peak from the direction of the horse camp because before you make your way up along the usual route, there is another trail to the left leading off in that direction. I hear the views are much more beautiful coming up from this side, so someone please let me know how it’s like if you’re able to try it out before me!
That being said, if you are taking the main route from the campground, make sure you head off to the trail on the right when you reach the top. When you find the staircase with railing (you know you’re in the right area when you start walking on rock), make your way to the top to experience a BREATH-​TAKING 360 degree view of East county. You will be blown away and will not regret having made the drive out here even if you do park and fork out $ 8. You’re obviously going to go for some pie and beer later so it’s worth it in the end!

Stonewall Peak is my go-​to, reset, recharge, re-​connect place when I’m in San Diego. I came out here for a sunrise hike yesterday morning and even after hiking it several times… it still never fails to disappoint. And it’s never crowded! No huge crowds waiting at the top to get a picture on a stupid ledge looking like a bunch of sheep like some other well known hikes in San Diego that I won’t mention (rhymes with motato ship crock… I hate that place)
I’ve read reviews where people label this hike as ‘hard’ or ‘difficult’ and it is neither. I would rank it as ‘easy’ as I’ve seen people of all ages doing it throughout the year. Not to mention the trail itself is made up of about 30 or so switchbacks that wind up the west side of the peak which are well taken care of and lined with a fence/​hand rails in most areas.
Parking is in the lot across the street at the Paso Picacho campground and costs $ 8. The trail is a 4 mile round-​trip trail starting at the campground. On the way to the peak, the last section of the trail is on an exposed ridge. It can be considered difficult, but it does have steps and a handrail so just take your time and you’ll be fine. Once at the top, you’ll have an amazing 360-​degree view of the surrounding landscape and park! Nature enthusiasts will see various small critters, trees and vegetation such as chaparral, oaks, and incense cedar.
My favorite thing to do is rock-​scrambling so I always spend an hour or so doing just that once I reach the peak.
I would recommend dawn/​sunrise as the best time to go. It’s quiet, no people and the colors you’ll see are beautiful as the sunlight begins to peak in the east.
Fall and Winter can get a little cold up there. I’ve been on days when the peak is 100% enjoyable and I’ve been on days when the wind at the peak is 100% brutal.
There’s also an American flag at the top but it wasn’t there yesterday. Probably bc the constant wear and tear from the wind demanded a new one be put in its place. Oh, the town of Julian is also about 12 miles north so make sure you visit them and have yourself an authentic Julian pie! I’ve heard they’re amazing!
Just west of the peak is Cuyamaca Peak which I’ll write a review on shortly, but it too is another great hike to check off your list.
Like I said before, Stonewall is my go-​to spot. Just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of beach life but close enough where it can be done in a day with plenty of time to spare.
What are you waiting for? Get busy livin’!

I loved the hike! Every step was worth the scenic view from the top. Breath taking! I will definitely go back.

One of the prettiest hikes I’ve been so far in San Diego! About 5,730 feet and a 4 miles RT. so about 2 hours to hike at a steady pace and time to chill at the top!
If you are staying at the campgrounds across the street, chose this over Cuyamaca peak. Cuyamaca peak has the ugliest and dirtiest mt peak. Avoid and do stonewall instead. Unless you want to ascend to a worn out cell tower, dirty used diapers, trash and lots of flies… So avoid Cuyamaca and Stonewall is the way to go!
Start early. And I mean it. Because if you don’t, be prepared for an ant hill. The hike is pretty easy, we saw many kids hiking. Mostly gradual switchbacks.
When you get to the top, they have beautiful craved stone stairways to the highest point and even display boards to know what you are looking at. The view is so high up you can see Cuyamaca Peak, San Jacinto, Anzo Borrego, Salton Sea and even Mexico! It was such a beautiful hike, I would definitely come back… parking sucks though because you have to park at the campsite across the street and they charge $ 8. Other than that, this is a must see and do hike in SD!

What a great hike! I would much rather do his than Cuyamaca Peak, which starts on the other side of the road at Paso Picacho Campground. CP is dirty and full of graffiti at the top so the reward is marginal. Stonewall is not as hard as the sign at the trailhead implies (strenuous), but do bring water because it can get super hot. There were quite a few families hiking with there kids so it’s not that hard. It’s a gorgeous hike all the way up.
*Views at the top include: Cuyamaca Peak, Middle Peak, Palomar Mountain, San Jacinto, Anzo Borrego, parts of the dessert.
4 miles round trip
2 hour hike
Pay and park at Paso Picacho Campground across the street

Pretty much kicked my butt. We were super slow and took a lot of breaks. Took 1 hour 20 minutes to top. Should be 1 hour. But felt good doing

Such a cool hike! The views are spectacular. Of course you get a stunning 360 view at the top, but you also see beautiful views as you gradually make your way up. There are MANY switchbacks to the peak, but they’re very long and gradual, so I didn’t find this hike challenging. I thought it was mostly in full sun in the afternoon, maybe not so sunny other times of the day. Luckily we went while there was a cool breeze going, so it wasn’t too hot.
This hike is popular, but even on a beautiful, sunny Saturday in June, it wasn’t so crowded as to be annoying.
See the Salton Sea, and on a clear day, even Mexico, from the top! Everyone should do this hike at least once!

2÷28÷15 so cold, windy, rainy, foggy and awesome! Fairly easy hike, but still worth it for the view.

Great hike for any level. Lots of friendly faces and family that come up here. 2 miles up, 2 miles down. Switchbacks and much appreciated shade along the way! It’s a bit of a drive from where we live, but once you get to the top — the view is priceless. Also a short drive to Julian from there… so after burning those calories — go have some pie to put it back…

Did this hike yesterday on a Sunday in February. I’ve seen pictures with snow on this trail, but yesterday it was definitely in the 70’s with no snow in sight. Hiked up in shorts and a tank top.
Short and fun hike in the Julian/​Descanso area near Cuyamaca Peak. The reason this hike doesn’t get 5 stars is because parking is $ 8.00 across the street at Paso Picacho Campground. Campground has nice facilities though, with clean restrooms. Paso Picacho Campground pulls up on Google maps. We drove out from PB and it took us around an hour to get there.
Hike itself is pretty self explanatory. Trail head is directly across the street from the campgrounds. Roughly 4 miles round trip. Good signage along the way. Trail is well maintained. If you’re scared of heights, the last part might be scary for you, climbing up the giant boulder to the top. It’s 5700 ft in elevation. Great view of Julian with Cuyamaca Peak, Cuyamaca Lake, and San Jacinto Peak all in sight. As of yesterday there is a giant American flag at the top. If you’re daring enough, climb beyond the railing onto the giant boulders for a good photo op.

Hiked this with a friend last weekend and I will say it was a very easy, beautiful but short hike. There was a good amount of people on the trail but it wasn’t over crowded either.
It wasn’t as challenging of a hike as I generally look for but my friend was hoping to see some snow, which there was a little of.
The $ 8 for parking is a little discouraging for a hike that takes only about 2 hours round trip. After driving out from oceanside to get there. But we spent the rest of the day in Julian so it made the drive worth it.
The very end is steep, very rocky but compleat my do able after a short break.
I would definitely do again if I was looking to spend a day in Julian but probably would pick other places if I was looking to just spend a day hiking.

Stonewall Peak is a relatively easy hike that offers AMAZING views once you reach the top. The ratio of effort to enjoyment in this one is off the charts – major win!
Park in the Paso Picacho Campground ($ 8 fee) and cross the street to begin the hike. You’ll find plenty of shade along the switchbacks and some fantastic views of the Julian/​Cuyamaca area. Once you near the summit, you’ll notice some metal poles which you can use for assistance as you make your final push toward the summit.
Reaching the summit rewards you with a breathtaking 360-​degree view that will blow your mind. You can see the Cuyamaca Peak nearby, and great views of the plains of Cuyamaca as well as Lake Cuyamaca. It makes you feel like you’re in an old Wild West movie. Also, you might feel like you cheated nature, as if you should have had to work a lot harder to enjoy such a beautiful panorama.
The peak of this hike reaches 5,700 feet and features about 850 feet of elevation gain.
Stop by in Julian afterwards and reward yourself with some apple pie and hard cider!

In the shadows of the mighty Cuyamaca Peak, Stonewall reveals a bigger payoff.
Park in the Paso Picacho Campground ($ 8 day fee) and walk across the road.
An easy ascent to the top and you’re treated to much nicer nature scenery than the big brother across the highway.
A beautiful Panoramic view lies at the end of the hike and you can almost smell the apple pie reward that resides a twenty minute ride away.

Quite comparable to Cowles but like everyone says, I like this hike better. It was an easy to moderate kinda hike. More on the easy side but it just started getting hot when we started which made it a little harder. Lots of switchbacks which makes this trail real easy and doable for children.
Did this trail almost nonstop with one short drink break near the top. Dont know how long it took us to get to the peak but it felt like a good 45 min, could be more or less.
Would give this 5 stars for the view up top but only four stars because you have to pay for parking. I think they should let hikers park for free and just make the campers pay. Or at least have this rule where youre in and out at a certain time so you pay less. But honestly its not that expensive so i guess the view made up for it. Plus we got Julian Pie afterwards! Another thing I didnt like was we couldn’t really stand on top of the peak because there was a wasps nest up top and we didnt wanna risk getting stung (Beware!!) so we decided to keep our distance, which was kinda a bummer cause it was hard to see the 360 view but still had an overall nice viewpoint of San Diego. I dont know how long they’ve been there but hopefully they get that under control!
Other than that, this is a great hike and i will probably be coming back!

Stonewall Peak is such a beautiful hike! It’s about 2 miles up, so 4 miles round trip. It’s fairly easy/​moderate for those who don’t hike often and every turn you take, you get an entirely new view! Parking is 8 $ for day-​use unless you are camping there or in any of the nearby campgrounds. When you get to the top, there is a nice gust of wind, a little more breezy than the rest of the hike. I recommend going at 8am or earlier to beat the sun and crowd. The hike isn’t too strenuous so you can also bring your kids to enjoy the views! I recommend checking it out if you’re in the area.

I would compare Stonewall Peak to Cowles Mountain on the fact that you get a 360 view of the area, particularly the whole cuyamaca state park region. However, I would rate this hike as better than Cowles because:
1) less people, no crazy piles of dog poop
2) nicer views of San Diego; we went on a semi-​cloudy day and there was a lot of lush greenery and interesting flora/​fauna to consider
3) the 360 view at the top of the peak, literally just a stone peak, is worth so much more than Cowles
4) a more traditional walk-​in-​the-​forest hike, you can’t hear any cars or much civilization, it’s a nice way to experience SD
5) difficulty level: easy. This hike is easier than Cowles, there was even a field trip of middle school age kids doing this hike with backpacks, and they were fine.
My friend and I took the interstate 8-​east and then highway 79 to paso picacho campground. The trailhead is just across the road from the campground, and I had no problem paying $ 8 to park in there. It takes a little an hour to get there from Chula Vista, and we stopped by Janet’s Montana Café for brunch afterwards in Alpine. Definitely worth a day trip to the Julian area, you won’t be sorry!

This place super rocks! It’s a beautiful drive to get to the Cuyamaca area, and the hike was even better. Park right across the street at Paso Picacho campground and pay the fee for parking. Right across the street is the entrance to the trail.
This is 4 miles roundtrip, so it’s not a crazy hike, but not too short either! The beginning of the trail was a little steep, but there are switchbacks, so most of it is nice and level!
The trail is maintained for the most part, but we did have to climb over/​bend under some fallen trees, and there are a few areas where you are walking up/​down rocks, so use caution! I almost fell a few times.
Once you get to the top, you finally reach the stairs to get to the peak. So awesome! The views from up here are incredible! It is really windy though! Make sure to bring a jacket if you plan to spend some time up here and it’s winter. It must have been about 40 degrees when we made it to the top (towards sunset), and the wind just added to it.
This place is awesome. Pair it with a trip to the Eagle Mine, and you’ve got a perfect day trip to Julian!