2 min
Overview
If you are looking to take a vacation from the dry, shrubby, bouldery interior of San Diego County, but you do not have several days to travel to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the cool forests of Lower Doane and French Valleys will provide the ultimate getaway. These pine-rimmed meadows bordered by a spring-fed creek are entirely out of place in semi-arid San Diego County and feel as if they have been transplanted directly from the floor of Yosemite Valley. In fact, the towering ponderosa pines and black oaks, along with the expansive meadows will remind you very much of the ecosystem within Yosemite – minus the granite, of course. Doane Valley Nature Trail This trail begins at the parking lot for Doane Pond, which is a popular destination for fishermen and is kept stocked by the park. After parking, locate the trailhead for the Doane Valley Nature Trail and plunge into another world. After you pass along the bed of a seasonal creek beneath dense willows and conifers overhead, you will emerge to cross Doane Valley Road and then descend into the rich forest bordering Doane Creek. This forest features many species of trees and plants that exist almost nowhere else in San Diego, including box elder, Pacific dogwood, white alders, and Sierra gooseberry. The shade here is dense, and the scattered black oaks, dogwoods, and box elders within this forest can provide vivid splashes of fall color during the month of November. Weir Trail A herd of deer browsing in the meadow Take the left turn when you reach the junction with the Weir Trail. Mark the right turn to continue onto the Doane Valley Nature Trail, as you will end up here on the return journey. The Weir Trail will climb briefly before continuing to follow the left bank of Doane Creek through more dense forests of incense cedar, white fir, black oak, bigcone Douglas fir, canyon oak, and white alder. After a short stretch of these wonderfully cool woods, the trail will emerge at a clearing with a view over the meadow in Lower Doane Valley. This is an ideal spot for
Trail Stats
7.0 km
137 m
1497 m
1348 m
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