Cowles Mountain

Love the hike. Not too hard, not too easy. Parking was a bit harder to find because the lot in front of the mall is very small. But overall, the hike challenged me but it wasn’t too hard for me to swallow. Also, the view at the top was very beautiful.

My boyfriend and I don’t go hiking often since we come from Chicago, where hiking really doesn’t exist. But we both enjoy staying fit and active and wanted to give ourselves a challenge in a different way outside of the gym and cowels mountain was perfect!
We went on a weekday morning so the trail wasn’t too busy and parking on the street was really easy. The trail itself was perfect for us as we are beginners at hiking, but the uphill climb and the rocky terrain gave us enough of a challenge so that we felt rewarded after successfully completing the climb.
And once we reached the summit after 1,591ft, the view absolutely took my breathe away! Overlooking the city and the terrain you just walked up really gives you a sense of accomplishment! And not to mention, A LOT of photo opps!
So if you like to give yourself a physical challenge with a great view on top, I definitely recommend. Cowels mountain makes me want to do other and more difficult hikes in the future.

My daughter and I really enjoy this hike it takes us 40 minutes to hike up and 30 minutes to hike back down. We essentially bring snacks (Bananas, granolas, trail mix and water) and we take a short break once at the very top! Mind you my daughter is Five. I would rate this hike skill a ⁶⁄₁₀ but I have seen ALL ages finish this hike, just pace yourself, and enjoy the beautiful scenery and the crisp air

Cowles is a fun hike but on the shorter side. The downside of this place is that it tends to be super crowded. Parking rivals freaking Disneyland. Went for a quick hike with the family last weekend but so did 800 of the other people who suddenly vowed to get healthy in the new year. Not that I am against people wanting to get healthy and active — there was just one point though where there were literally 20 people lined up single file passing us as we headed down. Doesn’t exactly help you feel connected to nature.
Side note, my son was also bitten by a dog on this trail. Small dog on a leash but still enough to traumatize him a good amount.
Ultimately it’s an OK hike. Probably a good one for people just starting out. Just know what you’re getting into when you mix some tight spaces, larger crowds, runners, and dogs.

This hike is a perfect distance for those like me who aren’t fitness buffs but who enjoy a good hike out in nature once in a while. I don’t know the mileage, but it takes about an hour to get up and 35 – 40 minutes to get down, if you take the most direct route (the path splits halfway up and you can hike around to the other side of the mountain before continuing the climb).
The trail can get crowded sometimes with small children sometimes slowing you down, but usually isn’t a problem. It is very dog friendly, with bowls of water at the top in case you forget to bring your own for your furry friend.
Parking usually isn’t a problem. I have always been able to find a spot in the small lot (maybe 30 lots). If not, there is ample street parking.

love this mountain, but i had a bad experience tonight with a group of rowdy mexicans playing loud mexican songs on their loud speakers, they have no respect for other hikers. from the base up to the top they were filling my ears with that loud noise they call music. there is a sign at the base which prohibits amplified music but apparently they don’t care. i really had to work very hard to keep my patience because there was a point when i wanted to to hurt these people real bad when they ignored my request to tone down the speaker volume.
So please be considerate, and respectful to other hikers. if you want loud music, use headphones because there might be some crazy mma fighter on the trail who forgot to take his meds.

Great quick hike. its pretty rocky so make sure you wear good sneakers and not flip flops or i guarantee you’ll trip a few times. Very busy with lots of people but, luckily it doesn’t feel crowded. Took us about an hour ½ round trip with our pup

Great hike with even better views! This hike will take you up to the highest point in San Diego County which is cool. I’ve read this is an easy hike, but still make sure to bring and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

This Rate is based on the South Side of the mountain coming from San Carlos.
The trials are pretty good taken care of well maintained helpful sings everywhere,
this is a really good for exercise, I’ve only have the pleasure to hike this mountain during the night never actually seen it in the day time I always hike around 0900 to 1100 pm Don’t worry if you were to hike it around that time you will not be the last person to be i that mountain every time I’m coming down around 10ish or 11 at night there is always people hiking up!

Good work out. Brought our 16 month old baby. Bring water. Hydrate coz it gets so hot as you go. Easy trail. 4 miles as recorded by my smartphone.

The hike was pretty rocky but worth the trip nonetheless. The view at the top overlooking the city 360 is spectacular. The view of the stars is breathtaking. Will be returning real soon.

3 miles total and I must say that it was a rocky one! Do not attempt to climb it in the afternoon. No shaded areas and the sun is just brutal. I will say though it’s very rewarding on the climb down. You can achieve a nice run straight down for beginners such as myself. a small camelback water thingy will free your hands and that’s a good thing.enjoy.

I hike this trail at least five times a week. Love it. Amazing view when you get to the top. Nice, quick cardio workout. Calorie tracker device clocks me at 530 calories. Not bad for a 45 min workout. Beats being on the stairmaster for 40 mins. Gets pretty crowded at times.

I love hiking this mountain! The mountain entrance at Barker Way has more incline and you definitely need good hiking shoes for it (I slipped a few times) the main entrance at Golfcrest is a lot of climbing. Both sides is a good hike. Beware of snakes and bring water during the hot weather.

This is a great 2 hour hike. My mistake was going a little later in the morning where the sun was already blazing down on us and most people were going down while we were on our way up, but go around 7−8am and you should be good to go! It’s an uphill hike with a clear path and at the top waits a beautiful view of San Diego. People are friendly and a lot of them bring their dogs so that kept me pretty distracted in a good way :)
I’d say this is a little above a beginner’s hike and don’t get discouraged when you keep looking up and you see a trail of people zigzagging to the top because I saw plenty of people running up and down this trail multiple times, and if they can do it, you can!

Definitely a fan of this hike.
If you have 2 hours out of your day, its a good up hill workout. The main trail can often be congested on the weekends and earlier in the morning but the Mesa Trailhead, albeit, a bit longer is a much more pleasant walk. Both trails have quite a bit of loose gravel, make sure your shoes have some kind of traction on the way down.
Dogs can easily be brought, preferably on a leash, however because it is a wide trail a temperamental dog can be let off their leash. The top almost always has a great breeze and on a clear day you can see all the way to Point Loma.
Be sure to bring water, particularly on the grueling summer days.

Going up was a moderate work out, keeping a moderate pace. I found it difficult to run either due to other people or because of the rocks. However, going back down was much easier, getting some talking in as well as running. I didn’t really feel anything, work out wise, going down. If it wasn’t so rocky, I would’ve loved to run the entire way down.
At about the halfway point, you look up and see Cowles Mountain and, if you’re like me, you’ll feel a little discouraged. That’s a long way up. But push through it! That’s the best part.
I saw a pizza box up at the top, which I found kind of amusing. I saw some people bring their small dogs. I wouldn’t wish that on mine, especially with all the rocks on the floor. But I did want to give high fives to the little kids doing the hike with their parents!
I went from the Mission Hills/​Golf (something) location, which was roughly 1.5 each way. Going up was around 45 minutes (walking) and going down was a little over 30. I don’t think this hike was incredibly challenging and thing it’s quite do-​able for beginners (I don’t even consider myself advanced, or even intermediate).
Try it out and make sure you’re wearing the appropriate shoes.
Also, despite this being the highest peak in San Diego, the view isn’t ~amazing~ so don’t go up just for that.

Not a bad hike from the Mesa Trailhead which is a little bit longer hike (about 5 miles RT) and less crowded than the main trailhead. I like the nice steep climb near the end, and the great views at the top. I heard this trail gets crowded, but I must have been fortunate this past Sunday as it was a nice day, and there were only a few others on the mountain. I even found a few GeoCaches along the route :)
To get to the Mesa Trailhead, From Route 52 — Take 52 to Mission Gorge Road in Santee. Turn west and proceed 0.4 miles to Mesa Road. Turn south onto Mesa Road and go past the Big Rock Park trail head to the end. The trail head is 0.5 miles down the dirt road. There is limited parking at this trail head.

Awesome! Great workout, my dog and I do it twice per trip.
BUT PEOPLE WITH DOGS — please keep your dogs on leases. I do all of mine, I don’t want one stupid incident stop all of us from bringing dogs. People that do not own dogs are sometimes afraid.

Sure beats the treadmill, elliptical, and stair master!!!
Cowles Mountain is one of the highest peaks in San Diego. Also a quick and great hike. A little over 3 miles round trip, Cowles Mountain is a moderate hike that has some easy spots and some strenuous ones. I’ve found that if you follow the trails, the hike is easy. If you run it or take short cuts, then it becomes strenuous. And there’s plenty of fit guys/​gals doing both. If any are heading your way, be courteous and move to the side. Some are even working on PR’s. The hike up will definitely work your muscles. The hike down will work your joints. Keep that in mind in case you are deciding on taking your hiking sticks.
Cowles Mtn gets crowded, even in the summer. Because of this, parking is always tough. So, expect a hike before your hike.
Tips and tidbits:
–Pronounced «coals», not «cowls».
–Usually busy so there’s a safe side to hiking here, even at night.
–Located in a residential area. Be courteous and respect their property.
–I think trash pick up is Saturday, which means trash cans along the side of the road. Some of these spots are potential parking spots.
–Bring plenty of water and use sunscreen.
–Know your limits. If your ready to pass out, stop and hydrate. Or, get some help. People, noobs and skilled, get hurt on this mountain all the time. Know your physical limits and surroundings.
By the way, I was fortunate to meet 2 nice hikers on the way up, Mezchelle and Marnie (sorry if I butchered the spellings). I guess they thought I was struggling to make it up on my own. You ladies made the hike a lot easier. We labeled our impromptu hiking team the 3 M-​igos. Always good people on these hikes. Don’t be surprised if a single hiker joins your group or vice versa.