Stonewall Peak

While I had explored most Cabrillo National Monument on foot the previous day, I had not really completed a true hike, at least not the vane of a Stonewall Peak trail, the 4-mile (round trip), climb I tackled the next morning. Setting out around 7:00 AM in the morning, only one family preceded me on the trail, which I perceived as beneficial since they probably cleared away all the spider webs. The ascent took a little under an hour. The trail climbs steeply via numerous switchbacks. Often I could see the trail on the slope above without understanding how it got there. Even in the still cool early morning, I appreciated that the mountain shaded me from the heat the rising sun, a benefit I lost on the way down. Along the way, I saw a lot of wildflowers (some that didn't smell so inviting), plenty of lizards, and countless charred tree trunks. A massive wildfild raged across the region in 2003, denuding most of the hillside.

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I spent forty minutes at the top—well not quite the top. A swarm of red ants infested the cairn that marks the true peak. As I climbed on the rocky summit, I wondered why the family the left before me rested about a 50 yards from the end of the trail. At first I thought the pests were bees, but the family said they were red ants. I never got close enough to challenge their assertion.

Deprived of the summit, I was not deprived of splendid views, particularly north toward the town of Cuyamaca, Lake Cuyamaca, and North Peak. I have a cousin who lives in this little town. He built a fantastic cabin not far from his house, which he availed to me for my visit. I could see all this and the aftereffects of the 2003 fires that nearly destroyed it all. To the west, I saw Cuyamaca Peak, the second tallest in San Diego county—I don't know what the first is. A longer trail climbs this mountain. Maybe, I'll try that one on my next visit.


Trip Statistics
Length: 4.1 miles
Time: 2 hours 33 minutes
Elevation Change: 883 feet
Total Climbing: 1,093 feet
Max. Elevation: 5,723 feet

Elevation Profile






















Stonewall peak viewed from the town of Cuyamaca the evening before my climb.
















The view from Stonewall Peak looking toward the town of Cuyamaca, where my cousin lives. The cabin he let me use for several nights is near the center of the picture along the line demarcating the gray burned trees from the green spared ones.
















East view from Stonewall Peak
















North View from Stonewall Peak