Cowles, Santee side

Cowles Mountain might be the most popular peak trail in San Diego, maybe all of Southern California. The most popular entry point is from the Southwest, at the intersection of Golfcrest and Navajo.  Not my favorite -- too many switchbacks, too many people.  Instead, we opt for the north entry, at the end of Mesa Road in Santee (just turn south on Mesa from Mission Gorge and keep driving; the road ends at the trailhead).

The hike from this side is a little harder and a little longer, but far less popular.  Even on a weekend, you might pass a dozen people whereas on the opposite side you might pass a hundred.  For the first 30 minutes or so you wind your way through the chaparral, occasionally dipping into shaded areas and small canopies of trees.  Mostly, though, this is a dusty and hot trail in the middle of the day.  Early morning and late afternoon are probably best, but we always seem to end up there at the hottest time of the day.

After 30 minutes, give or take, you reach the fire road that leads in a westerly direction up to the Cowles Mountain peak.  It starts out pretty flat -- but quickly gives way to a challenging uphill slog.  Experienced hikers will have no problem, but I've seen the fire road take the wind out of a lot of people, especially on hot days.  It's good preparation for longer climbs, too.

At the top you'll almost always find people, most of whom have come up the Golfcrest side.  On a nice weekend day, there might be 50-75 people at the top, almost all of whom will at some point touch the Cowles marker in a ritualistic way.

Heading down is more like tumbling.  It takes half the time as you can't help but walk at a pretty good clip.  Bottom to top and top to bottom takes us about two hours, but it can be done in less.

Not a lot of wildlife to speak of here (lizards and snakes, see photos below), but a truly fantastic 360 view of San Diego county from the top.  In the spring there are lots of birds, especially along the fire road and near the trailhead.  I've seen California quail, a Black-headed Grosbeak, a Blue Grosbeak, lots of goldfinches, phainopepla, hawks galore, and even a low flying Golden Eagle.