Weekend Adventure To Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Are you ready for another Weekend Adventure? Come along with me as I take a hike through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. If you’re looking for an easy to moderate hike that will only take a few hours, then this is the place for you.
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is located 40 miles east of San Diego in the Cuyamaca and Laguna mountains. The park is over 24,000 acres and offers stunning views of the mountains and meadows. There are over 100 miles of trails for guest to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. The park has limited accessibility due to COVID-19, but there are still plenty of areas for hikers to explore.
In this article I share my experience on this unplanned adventure, tips, and ideas to make this a full day adventure.
Getting To Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Getting to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is an easy drive from several highways. We took the Highway 76 to Highway 79 which made for a scenic two hour trips.It was a beautiful Memorial Day weekend and despite the anticipated crowds, the roads had little traffic. We took the back roads to Cuyamaca and passed by the quaint towns as Lake Henshaw and Julian.
We arrived at 4:30 p.m. and parked at Sweetwater Highway 79 turnout. There was plenty of parking at several other near trailheads.
Currently the park hours are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for day use. Parking is free at the turnouts along Highway 79.
The Hike
We started our hike at 4:30 p.m. on a trail along the meadow. The meadow is full of tall grass, yellow flowers, and lush green trees. The trail gradual rises and falls throughout the trail. We made our way down a steep hill toward a small creek. Our plan was to cross the creek to follow the rest of the trail. I saw three logs over the top of the creek that’s set up for people to walk over and to get to the other side. I almost made it across to the other side and stepped up on the edge of the side of the creek and slipped and fell into the creek. Thankfully it was a warm day but my shoes and bottom of my pants were drenched. Alyssa also met the same fate but only dunked in one foot.
Well, I wanted some adventure and I got it! The water was so cold but refreshing to my feet. We continued on with our hike wet feet and all. At 1.4 mile marker we entered into a little wooded area with a bloom of white flowers and shade trees. We hiked a long in silence and taking in the solitude of nature at its finest. Throughout our hike we didn’t run into a single person! It was absolutely perfect and what I needed! We hiked 2.8 miles and crossed another creek getting our feet soaked again. Towards the end of the trial that we were on we had to hike a steep hill to make it off the trail to the road.
Hiking Tips
There are several trails at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park with different characteristics of each trail. Even during the hike there were several different trails that we could chose to walk down leading to different areas. We weren’t prepared to cross a creek twice. It’s a good idea to wear good shoes or hiking boots. Be prepared to cross streams or hike down and up steep areas. Bring water and a snack with you so you can take a break you can refuel your body. I wore workout pants and a sweatshirt to keep warm and to protect my skin from insect bites.
Would I Recommend This Hike?
Yes! I loved this hike and would recommend anyone. This hike is beautiful, relatively easy and plenty of areas to go off by yourself. This hike is easy enough to take your kids with you. We saw a few kids climbing some boulders in the meadow and they seemed to be having a wonderful time. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park also has a lake and campgrounds if you want to stay overnight. This would be a great place to come on a date and go for a hike and a picnic lunch. The nice thing about Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is the size. We felt all alone on the Sweetwater Trail and didn’t run into any other hikers. I really needed to get out of the city and be away from people and I got my wish. The amount of acres for people to explore allows you to get a feeling that your all alone in nature. We didn’t see any nearby homes or hear the highway once we went further down the trail. Cuyuamaca Rancho State Park is only an hour away from San Diego and would make an easy day trip and you can also head to Julian for some pie!
Top 5 Reasons To Go To Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
- Get out in nature
- Spend time alone
- Connect with your inner spirit
- Fresh air
- Get exercise
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