Wooded Hill

Overview

The Laguna Mountains Recreation Area offers a massive network of trails that allows the hiker to piece together tremendous loops encompassing soaring desert views, cool pine forests, vast meadows, and rugged hillsides. But not every worthwhile hike in the Lagunas is an epic, nor is every worthwhile hike directly connected to the network. The most notable exception is the nature trail at Wooded Hill, which follows a figure-8 loop up to the 6,223′ summit. The hill features some of the densest and coolest forest in the Lagunas, along with great views to the south and some of the best fall color in the county. The fall color on Wooded Hill comes primarily from the California black oak. This deciduous oak’s leaves turn a vivid gold in the period from late October to late November. There are a large number of these oaks on Wooded Hill interspersed with vanilla-scented Jeffrey pines. While the fall color of the black oak is notable, it also produces a surprising color show in the Spring as well. Every April, the tree’s re-sprouting leaves emerge a vivid pink that slowly transitions into a bright green by mid-May. Although Wooded Hill is nice at any time, April-May and October-November are definitely the best times of year to visit Wooded Hill. This hike would also be especially fun following a winter snowstorm. Black oak Wooded Hill The short distance and modest elevation gain combined with the cool, shady forest make this hike great for families and individuals of most skills and abilities. A pamphlet (usually) found at the trailhead provides information about the numerous sights on the trail. Rocks painted with a number corresponding to the item in the pamphlet indicate where to stop and refer to the guide. Trail marker Wooded Hill trail The trail begins at a small parking lot directly opposite from the Wooded Hills Group Campground (available through reservation). There is an “entrance” trailhead on the left, while the “exit” trailhead is on the right. Neither is specifically marked as such, but if you are followin

Trail Stats

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