Hiking Sunset Trail In Anza-Borrego State Park
Are you ready for another epic hike? Get ready for another Weekend Adventure! This week we headed out to Mount Laguna in San Diego County, California. This article will give you the scoop on everything you need to know about what you’ll see on the hike, duration, and things you need to know to have a safe trip.
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Hiking Sunset Trail In Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Our goal for this hike was to get out of town and unplug from the world. It’s been an exhausting week with all the turmoil that is happening around the country. After a weighty conversation on the way up to Mount Laguna, I was looking forward to checking out from life and focus on nature.
It was an overcast day, so we knew that it would be cooler once we got up to the mountains, but once we hit Julian, it was drizzling and windy. Honestly, it was freezing, but I didn’t want to let the weather keep us from having fun.
I originally planned to hike the Lake Cuyamaca trail, but it was too crowded. So I quickly adjusted our plan to head up towards Mount Laguna and find a trailhead. Sunrise Trail is on the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. We parked in the dirt parking lot only saw two cars. There are a couple of trails you can choose, one path at the west end of the parking lot and another trail at the east endWe went on the La Cima trail, which takes you to the Cima Conversation Camp paved road. As you continue on the La Cima trail, you come to several paths. We decided to continue to head west on the Upper Green Valley Trail. The trail offers beautiful views of meadows, surrounding mountains, and forests. I spent most of the hike, enjoying the rock formations on the mountainside and little flowers peeking out from under the sagebrush.
The Hike
The first part of the trail was easy, but the path has loose rocks. This trail made me wish that I invested in a good pair of hiking boots. I stumbled over quite a few stones throughout the afternoon. Since we never hiked this trail, every moment was an adventure. When we hit 2.0 miles, we crossed the boundary of the Anza Borrego Park into Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. The path leads down into a forested area with plenty of shade under the oak trees and cool breeze rushing through the canyon.
We carried on for about 1/2 a mile, and then we decided to head back to the car since it was getting late, and we didn’t want to get lost in the dark. It was about 6:15 p.m. when we started the long uphill hike back to the car. Now up until this point, I was feeling good. My legs felt good, and my feet were doing okay. Going uphill was another story. I’ve been having trouble on recent hikes with my calves or shins cramping up. This time it was my calves and the bottom of my feet that were burning.
Bad Hiking Gear & Conditioning
I had to stop a couple of times for stretching and taking a break. It was tough going back uphill, and I had to encourage myself to keep going. I have to admit that I didn’t prepare for the hike. I didn’t bring a snack or water with me, which is a big no-no for hiking. So I had three strikes against me: bad shoes, cramping, and no water. I let my friend Alyssa walk ahead since I was falling behind, and I felt terrible that she had to keep slowing down because I was having a hard time keeping up.
After an exhausting hike, we made it back to the car before sunset. When I looked at my Health app on my phone, we hiked 4.4 miles, and if we had finished the hike, it would’ve been 9 miles. I really would like to do the complete loop, and hopefully, I can talk Alyssa into making the full trail loop with me and be more prepared to stay on the trail for 4-5 hours.
Hike Aftermath
When we got to the car, we were tired and feeling the aches and pains in our aging bodies. On the way down the mountain, it was foggy and drizzling, and I needed to eat, so we decided to stop by Calico Ciderary to a flight of their cider and donuts. Boy did those donuts taste good, and I now have a favorite hard cider that I like called the Joey. It’s a neat little place off the highway that I’ve wanted to stop and check out. We will be going there again since we had such a great time.
Hiking Tips
- If you plan to complete the full Cima Trail, allow 4-5 hours.
- Bring a headlamp with you if you start hiking after 4 p.m.
- I didn’t have phone reception at all when I was up in the mountains, but Alyssa’s phone worked the whole time. So don’t expect your phone to be in range during your hiking.
- Bring a small first aid kit with you. I didn’t, and my toe started to get a blister, and it would’ve been nice to put a band-aid on my toe.
- Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll return. Let family or friends know that you will contact them as soon as your back in range. Designate a time that if they don’t hear from you by a specific time to call the ranger station.
- Bring snacks (energy bar, nuts, and dried fruit) and plenty of water.
- Check out the trail map, so you have a rough idea of how long the trail is. We went in completely blind, and while it was an adventure for us, I wouldn’t recommend it.
- If you don’t have hiking boots, buy some! Your feet will thank you!
If you have suggestions on hiking trails to hike next, leave a comment below. Check out my latest hiking blog post How To Hike Coldwater Trail
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