Here's something you might be interested in.
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
Palomar Mountain: Weir-French Valley Loop
A flowering western columbine (Aquilegia formosa) near the weir.
Palomar Mountain is a gem of an area and one of the few places in San Diego County where you can go for a four-season experience. At over 5000 feet in elevation, it has a Sierra Nevada feel to it with a mixed conifer forest environment and a diversity of plant life, including dogwood, tiger lilies and very small orchids. Wildlife includes the black-tailed mule deer, bobcat, mountain quail, and Stellar’s jay.
The historic stone weir is one of the more interesting stops on this hike.
At the parking lot, start on the Doane Valley Nature Trail and veer left on the Lower Doane Trail to the weir. Watch for banana slugs along Doane Creek, where there is an isolated population at its southern-most range. Trout can be spotted in the creeks where many are escapees from Doane Pond. Doane Creek and French Creek merge just above the weir. There is a small pool of water next to the weir where volumetric flow rate was measured when the water flowed over a low barrier in hopes that power could be brought to the area. Turn back after a rest at the pond until a spur crosses Doane Creek and veers left, toward French Creek, then loop back on the French Valley Trail until the Doane Valley Campground, where the Doane Valley Nature Trail returns to the parking lot. Past the kiosk is a restroom behind tree. Cross a small bridge to view the pond.
The loop trail can also be accessed at the Doane Valley Nature Trail/Doane Valley Trail intersects, starting at the corner of the Doane Valley parking lot or by walking from the parking lot to the campground trailhead (just beyond site #25). The trail from the campground peeks in and out of the pines, oaks, firs, and shrubs. If you stay to the right, you will remain on the French Valley Trail. Here, note the ancient oaks, some of which have grown over large granitic boulders for support. There is evidence of acorn woodpecker granaries in enormous pines. However, many pines have succumbed to fire and bark beetle infestation. There is also a large group of deep morteros as you head down-valley on the left-hand side of the trail.
After about a mile, the trail loops back to the left and will follow the edge of a meadow before merging with the Lower Doane Trail. A right turn will head you in the direction of Doane Creek. If you turn right again just before Doane Creek, a spur trail will take you out and back to the weir. Use caution when stepping on the rocks surrounding the pool of water in front of the weir, as they are well worn and slick, making it easy to take a plunge! After returning on the spur trail, continue across Doane Creek and turn left to head back up-valley toward the Doane parking lot. This portion of trail begins with some exposure and then disappears under tall firs. The trail ends with a short steep section up stone steps and a shallow creek crossing with stepping-stones. Cross the main park road to a short bridge crossing and the trail will emerge into the parking lot.
- Distance from downtown San Diego: About 87 miles. Allow 2 hours driving time. From I-5N, then SR-76E, take slight left on S Grade Rd/CR-S6 to Palomar Mountain. Turn left at State Park Rd/CR-S7 (just before the store and restaurant) to Palomar Mountain State Park. Follow the signs to Doane Pond and park in the lot. Parking is $8. There are no gas stations on Palomar Mountain. Restrooms available. Note: I-15N is 65 miles, per navigation aids.
- Hiking length: 3 miles round trip.
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate with elevation gain/loss of 200 feet. The hike toward lower French Creek has elevation loss with some ups and downs. The trail from the lower Doane Valley parking lot crosses the creek via stepping stones and then has a short steep and narrow section down stone steps.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Palomar Mountain: Weir-French Valley Loop
Palomar Mountain: Weir-French Valley Loop
A flowering western columbine (Aquilegia formosa) near the weir.
Palomar Mountain is a gem of an area and one of the few places in San Diego County where you can go for a four-season experience. At over 5000 feet in elevation, it has a Sierra Nevada feel to it with a mixed conifer forest environment and a diversity of plant life, including dogwood, tiger lilies and very small orchids. Wildlife includes the black-tailed mule deer, bobcat, mountain quail, and Stellar’s jay.
The historic stone weir is one of the more interesting stops on this hike.
At the parking lot, start on the Doane Valley Nature Trail and veer left on the Lower Doane Trail to the weir. Watch for banana slugs along Doane Creek, where there is an isolated population at its southern-most range. Trout can be spotted in the creeks where many are escapees from Doane Pond. Doane Creek and French Creek merge just above the weir. There is a small pool of water next to the weir where volumetric flow rate was measured when the water flowed over a low barrier in hopes that power could be brought to the area. Turn back after a rest at the pond until a spur crosses Doane Creek and veers left, toward French Creek, then loop back on the French Valley Trail until the Doane Valley Campground, where the Doane Valley Nature Trail returns to the parking lot. Past the kiosk is a restroom behind tree. Cross a small bridge to view the pond.
The loop trail can also be accessed at the Doane Valley Nature Trail/Doane Valley Trail intersects, starting at the corner of the Doane Valley parking lot or by walking from the parking lot to the campground trailhead (just beyond site #25). The trail from the campground peeks in and out of the pines, oaks, firs, and shrubs. If you stay to the right, you will remain on the French Valley Trail. Here, note the ancient oaks, some of which have grown over large granitic boulders for support. There is evidence of acorn woodpecker granaries in enormous pines. However, many pines have succumbed to fire and bark beetle infestation. There is also a large group of deep morteros as you head down-valley on the left-hand side of the trail.
After about a mile, the trail loops back to the left and will follow the edge of a meadow before merging with the Lower Doane Trail. A right turn will head you in the direction of Doane Creek. If you turn right again just before Doane Creek, a spur trail will take you out and back to the weir. Use caution when stepping on the rocks surrounding the pool of water in front of the weir, as they are well worn and slick, making it easy to take a plunge! After returning on the spur trail, continue across Doane Creek and turn left to head back up-valley toward the Doane parking lot. This portion of trail begins with some exposure and then disappears under tall firs. The trail ends with a short steep section up stone steps and a shallow creek crossing with stepping-stones. Cross the main park road to a short bridge crossing and the trail will emerge into the parking lot.
- Distance from downtown San Diego: About 87 miles. Allow 2 hours driving time. From I-5N, then SR-76E, take slight left on S Grade Rd/CR-S6 to Palomar Mountain. Turn left at State Park Rd/CR-S7 (just before the store and restaurant) to Palomar Mountain State Park. Follow the signs to Doane Pond and park in the lot. Parking is $8. There are no gas stations on Palomar Mountain. Restrooms available. Note: I-15N is 65 miles, per navigation aids.
- Hiking length: 3 miles round trip.
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate with elevation gain/loss of 200 feet. The hike toward lower French Creek has elevation loss with some ups and downs. The trail from the lower Doane Valley parking lot crosses the creek via stepping stones and then has a short steep and narrow section down stone steps.