San Miguel Mountain Trailhead

Glad to have made it all the way to the top before it closed. First time up made it to The Flag, that in itself is an accomplishment, second time up all the way up to the antennas. This hike is no joke but it’s not a killer, definitely doable! Amazing view from The Flag and from The Antennas, a must if you’re in the area! UNFORTUNATELY it was recently closed, hope the closure is reconsidered.

This hiking trail is closed?! Sensitive habitat, it was never a hiking trail to begin with? I thought the location of the starting point was a bit peculiar. I guess that might explain why we saw a fix while we hiked to the flag. Glad I was able to experience it at least once before they start fining people for trespassing.
Pretty easy hike though, made it to the flag in about 45 min. Also had enough energy at the end to run on the slightly flatter areas back to the car.

I was bummed out when I read this news lately.
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«Chula Vista closes popular hiking trail because it was never a trail to begin with»
San Miguel Mountain Trailhead does not exist
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A popular hiking trail in Chula Vista was closed Thursday, but 10News learned hikers might have been trespassing for years.
City crews installed new gates and new signs warning hikers that the San Miguel Mountain Trailhead does not lead to a trail at all.
A sign at the base of the trail reads «Sensitive Habitat Area, Entry Prohibited,» with a Spanish version of the sign also posted.
However, 10News reporter Joe Little learned that hikers have ignored the sign for years.
Chula Vista Planning Manager Ed Batchelder said the trail, which isn’t a trail at all, is actually a federally protected wildlife refuge.
It contains an «endangered butterfly habitat; California gnatcatcher habitat,» said Batchelder.
Batchelder said the trail grew in popularity because of social media, and he told 10News, «The site actually got erroneously labeled as a trailhead on Google Maps.»
«That’s kind of insane because it’s a nice trail,» said Arvin Peralta,
who hiked the trail not knowing he was trespassing.
The city has erected new gates and installed new signs at the fictitious trailhead.
«People are losing a nice trail here in San Diego,» said Peralta.
Batchelder said it never should have been a trail to lose in the first place.
Because these trails are illegal, they are not maintained by the city or any other government agency, so the city said slippery and unstable footing, steep slopes, rattlesnakes, and some noxious plants make trespassing into the preserve dangerous.
The signs are going up at utility access points on Coastal Hills Drive and Iron Gate Lane. A trespassing offense carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $ 1,000 fine.
Authorized hiking and biking trails in Chula Vista include trails along the Otay Lakes, Olympic Training Center, Mountain Hawk Park and Mount San Miguel Park. Also nearby are trails on county land including Otay Lakes County Park, Otay Valley Regional Park and
Sweetwater Regional Park.

Loved this hike, but it’s very easy and a little boring. I used it for running not for hiking. But has a great view.

Definitely was NOT what I was expecting! It was harder than I expected. hahaha
The elevations were high and I thought the flag was the end point.NOPE.that’s halfway to the top. lol. It was def a good hike and it gets very steep at certain points. Plus, there’s a lot of loose rocks.
It’s definitely challenging. Also, the trail starts near houses. it’s basically like people’s backyards. Very interesting. And there are no restrooms/​porta-​potties around.

Great hike. Weight lifter, but never do this type of activity nor cardio.
This was my first time hiking ever and I wore steel toed boots. BAD idea. The way down was much slower because I was trying to spare my toes from blisters.
Anyway, in total I took about 4 hours. Tiring as it is very steep, and as I stated, painful on the way down for me. I went from 6:30 AM to about 10:30AM.
The flag was missing from the first checkpoint when I went unfortunately, so no first pic for me. I continued my climb to the radio towers, and up there it is a great view where you feel above the clouds.
As I made my way back down, I passed by many other hikes. The clouds cleared up. I noticed a lot of rattles, so I tried to avoid where the sound was coming from. I passed probably 4 or so.
I sort of made the mistake of making this my first hike. Now nothing seems to compare to the difficulty.

Great nearby workout hike.
I was initially looking for a 6 – 8 mile hike and a friend recommended this mountain. The trail was shorter than I was looking for but it definitely worked in place of a medium difficulty longer trail due to the trail being VERY steep. No switchbacks on this thing. Mainly going up and up some more.
Other reviews I saw made it seem like the trail head was difficult to find. It was so obvious and easy I thought I had the wrong one. It is a cement road connection with a chain across the entry. The concrete stops about 20 yards up the hill where it turns to a dirt road.
The trail basically had 3 peaks. The first was fairly steep to get to the flag everyone was talking about. The second was a minor one then the big one that was a real tough one to the top where the antennas are.
You should bring water along this one and it would be a good picnic trail. I did an early afternoon trip and was off the mountain about 4:30 pm. This would be a good sunset hike as you can see all of downtown and Coronado island looking west.
When I was leaving I met a local who was getting ready to go up. I went up on a Friday afternoon. He said that was the best time to go as people seem to be more in happy hour mode as opposed to after work hiking. I only saw 3 other people when I was on the trail. Two who started when I did but moved much slower and a guy on his way up as I was on my way down. I had the peaks all to myself for some nice moments of solitude.
The local guy also mentioned it was best to come out during Santa Ana conditions or just after. Apparently all the off-​shore haze will be gone making it seen like you can see all the way to Hawaii.

First time here and it was a lil hard to find the path, but once we found the way it was pretty clear.
The initial part of the hike kicked our butts! It is a pretty steep incline. Good work out though. The first point where the flag is, is slightly off the trail to the top, but it’s a good breather to take. The rest of the hike to the summit isn’t as steep as the beginning. I really liked that this trail wasn’t busy or crowded. There are a few people but not super crazy like the other mountain trails. There’s pretty much no shade on the hike, unless you’re at the flag. And all around you is brush so not any scenary to take pictures of.
When you get to the top there’s a road. The view looks pretty nice but doesn’t make for good pictures as everything is so far away.
This is a good hike, just a bit far to get to. And unless you take the 125 toll road, you’ll be driving quite a way off the freeway to get here.

This was one of my favorite hikes in San Diego, with views uncharacteristic of our normal hikes — less brown, more green — as you can tell by the photos that I’ve posted. I think the hike can vary in difficulty, based on the path you choose. We followed a friend’s lead who had been here before. Our hike took maybe 3 plus hours. We tried to run back down; but please beware of the small, loose rocks that caused my friend to fall and injure his knee!!! The path we took was less difficult and shorter than Mount Woodson/​Potato Chip, but more difficult and longer than Cowles Mountain.

On President’s day I decided to give this hike a chance since a friend had mentioned it to me. I never really drive down the Southbay expressway too much, mostly because I think toll roads are stupid and without taking the toll roads this place is kinda far out of the way. But San Miguel Mountain was quite a pleasant experience for a morning hike. There is a lot of vertical climb in this hike along with lots of rocks that make it easy to slip on when going downhill, I don’t suggest coming here if you aren’t good at going through climbs. This is definitely a fun place to bring your mountain bike though, plenty of trails and paths here. This mountain also doesn’t seem to be too busy either, which is very nice change from busy hikes like Cowles, which kinda ruin the whole ‘in nature’ feel. Once you get to the top you are treated to a beautiful view of the south bay area. I don’t suggest going down the service roads on the opposite side of the mountain, they are very very steep.

My friends and I decided to hike at a new place so we drove all the way to Chula Vista for this trail. We came really early around 6AM to catch the sunrise. It was really confusing to find the path to the correct trail. Even though the neighborhood looked super rich with huge houses, it seemed pretty sketchy and scary especially considering it was near Proctor Valley (heard scary stories about that place lol). It was really dark and there were no street lights so that made it worse. We parked at Paseo Veracruz next to Mount San Miguel Park. The trail was right next a house. We followed the trail but we remembered it wasn’t the correct one. We had to pass a little gate thing to the left (I’m not sure why the gate is even there).
Anyways back to the hike… definitely need the correct hiking shoes for this trail! It is very steep and can be very dangerous going down. Gravity kept forcing me to run down and I couldn’t stop because I was wearing free runs. I had to force myself to turn in the grassy area near the bushes and I landed on my butt. I seriously thought I was going to roll down the hill and get injured! It was very scary. Also, definitely bring lots of water especially on a hot day. The incline can get very tiring! I am a frequent hiker and this was the first time I was actually scared and a little sore haha. It was definitely worth it though.
The flag pole was just half way of the hike. Very nice place to take pictures! However, there are a lot of flies or Mosquitos around the rocks leading up to the flag which could be very annoying!
I would most likely come back to practice hiking here more!

Loved this hike!
We were confused on how to get here so let me spend some time on that. We parked on Paseo Veracruz, right next to Mount San Miguel Park. At the end of the street, you’ll see a trail starting next to a house. Then you’ll see a gate straight ahead, and the trail turns right. Don’t go right, go straight past the gate, and follow the trail there. If confused, always go the path that goes uphill!
We went on sunrise, so we didn’t have to worry much about the sun. But there is no shade at all on this hike, so if you go during the day, prepare for the heat! Like everyone says, the inclines are killer! Killer, but so fun! If you’re an experienced hiker, you’ll enjoy the challenge very much. The halfway point is the flagpole, which is a nice photo-​op spot. Great views there, you can see the Coronado Bridge and the DTSD skyline very clearly.
Going down was pretty fun! You can run down depending on your skill level. You’d have to be wearing the right hiking shoes, though, or you won’t get traction on the steep hills. My friend almost ate it =X But she was fine afterwards haha! I just so happened to catch it on video, which she gave me permission to post. =D There was a flat part where we were standing, so I knew she was going to be able to stop by herself!

Hiked this mountain 4 times and is easily the most difficult mountain in San Diego. It took my friend and I about 3 hours total from the beginning of the trail back to our car without taking any breaks except at the flag and towers to take pictures. The view is much more beautiful at the towers than it is the flag.
The first slope to the flag is difficult, it is inclined almost the entire way up and seems to go on forever. The second slope to the flag is much easier. Then the path to the towers goes down, up, down, then back up.
I took my out of shape brother the day after New Years and he only made it to the flag, so this mountain is a great way to get one’s hiking stamina up. Getting all the way to the Towers for my first time felt like a real accomplishment as a new hiker. After this mountain no other mountain in San Diego will feel as difficult. I personally prefer starting at 6am or 7am to avoid the crowd plus to avoid the heat of the sun since there isn’t much shade on the way to the flag.
Even for a first time hiker or out shape sibling it’s a perfect challenge with a rewarding view.

Many of the reviewers here confuse Mount San Miguel with a smaller hill next to it.
Mt. San Miguel does not have an American flag at the top of it. It has radio towers and is nearly double the climb.
The little hill is a short hike with switchbacks. Mt. Miguel is straight up.

After trying out a few different routes to the top of San Miguel Mountain, I have found that I like beginning my hike at the Montevalle Community Center off Proctor Valley Rd. There are drinking fountains, restrooms, and lots of parking available at the Center, which makes for a nice starting/​ending point. The total hiking distance is about 7 miles from this location.
The official trail to the top begins on the North side of Proctor Valley Rd, about half way between Duncan Ranch and Coastal Hills. Once you find the start, it is a pretty easy path to follow all the way to the top.
The first mile isn’t too steep, but the rest of the hike is no joke. There are two long uphill stretches, the first one is up to the flagpole, and the second is to the top of San Miguel peak. The first of the uphill sections is probably the steeper of the two, but the second is longer. Both are relentless.
The views, though not the best in the County, are rewarding. This hike is closer to the ocean than most, so you get a nice shot of the coastline.
The top of the mountain can get windy, so be prepared if you are doing the hike in the winter. The trail is pretty rocky, so hiking shoes are advised.

Total Distance: 4.6 miles
Approx. Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: medium-​difficult
If you’re looking for a steep hill to hike then this is it! This was probably the longest incline I’ve done on a hike before. Although, you may suffer on the way up, it feels very rewarding once you’ve accomplished the hike. The path is very dusty and sandy. My shoes and the back of my legs were covered in dust. Not a lot of trees and greens. At the top you will find an American flag that marks your victory. Take lots of pics of the scenery and post them on Instagram! Be careful going down that steep hill. Walking sideways helped me or you can bring along a hiking/​walking staff.
Remember to bring a backpack with plenty of water! Wear good shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses with UV protection :)

Me and a group of friends hiked this during 100F+ weather which was the major contributor to why I didn’t enjoy the hike as much. The hike was a bit steeper when compared to the other hikes I’ve done in San Diego (kinda boring because of a lack of a scenery; but hey, no pain no gain). I guess I’ve build some endurance prior to this hike so it didn’t tire me as much and I actually want to try running it up or down on my next trip. Big advice, don’t try this hike if the weather is anything that is 90 °F (maybe 85 °F to be safe) and above.
Stay hydrated and safe when hiking around here! Seriously. Major emphasize on the hydration part.

Well, I can’t really say if it’s 5 star because it was my 1^st mountain hike. Yep, I’m a virgin mountaineer. Even though I work out 3xs a week, this hike will humble you. Teenagers will bound up the hill and back down with barely an elevated heart rate. But for those of us on the older side, the steepness and no switchbacks made it a challenge. But, as all the other reviews have said, the view is worth the pain.
I got forced into taking walking sticks and at first I thought «how lame.» Not aging gracefully I readily admit, but the sticks definitely saved my bacon. When I did fall coming down (on not even a steep section… just so many loose rocks) the sticks broke some of the brunt going down.
Not sure this would be a hike I’d race out to do again, because it was steep and very dusty and snake country, but it did give me the hiking bug and I look forward to using some new gear soon. San Jacinto is calling my name.

I read a few reviews before trying this hike out, and I attempted to get an understanding of where this hike begins and ends — I’m STILL confused. lol. Mixed feelings about going, I knew it was something I had to try. It seems that there are several places to start (Chula Vista, East County Rancho San Diego, Proctor Valley) — my sister and I decided to start at San Miguel Park. Arriving at around 6:10 AM, it was a great way to start our Sister Saturday Workout!
There is a dirt path entrance at the end of the street next to someone’s house. (they left their windows open, wonder if they constantly eavesdrop on hikers). We automatically went right — which felt wrong because it seemed too man made for the neighborhood to be the official hike. We were on our phones looking at people’s pictures and maps, almost giving up. Eventually we saw 2 people going in a different direction, so we decided to follow. Instead of going right on the entrance, go straight — it looks sketchier, but it’s correct. Once we crossed multiple paths, we found a more designated trail inclining up a mountain. Way to work out the gluts and legs! Constant incline, we found a helpful walking stick to get through. We still weren’t sure about where we were going, but we definitely continued to stalk those 2 people, lol. Since it was so early, there was condensation, misting on our hair — very cloudy — couldn’t see the view just yet. Our goal was to see the American Flag, because that is where the most. As the sun rose onto our faces, we still didn’t feel right. Over a half an hour goes by and we see the flag in the distance. Amazing views of clouds, the Reservoir, the dam (haven’t seen that in forever since the freeways were built). I know some people make it all the way to the towers — but that just seemed insane. Satisfied with our accomplishments, decided that was our hike for the day.
Good times, great work out, awesome pictures, amazing views!
P.S…are their multiple flags? i swear people have different pics with different size flags, lol.

What better way to start the New Year off other than a morning hike?! I mean, after endless plates of food from the holiday season, I felt a little less guilty because I did this hike.
It is tiring as it is uphill straightaway! There are no turns and what not like Cowles, so it is definitely much more challenging. There is nothing to hold onto (big rocks, trees, etc), so you must be careful when walking on all of the small rocks. Wear good, NOT worn out shoes! It is pretty simple as you just follow the dirt path.
My company and I only reached the point where the American flag is due to an overdose in wine the prior night, but we plan on making it to the towers next time. Once you are at that first peak, though, the view is amazing. Nature is beautiful!