3 min
Overview
Cuyamaca Peak is the second highest peak in San Diego County. It sits a mere 20 feet lower but is far more accessible than Hot Springs Mountain near Warner Springs. The peak’s 6,512’ summit is relatively modest compared to the behemoths in the San Gabriels, San Jacintos, and San Bernadinos. However, Cuyamaca has the honor of being the geographic center of San Diego County, which grants the peak unparalleled views. This central location coupled with the elevation makes Cuyamaca Peak the penthouse of San Diego. The peak is the dominant landmark in vast Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This parcel was once covered by a rich mixed-conifer forest, interspersed with chaparral, oak woodlands, and gentle meadows fringed with pines. The land was originally inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians, who referred to the area as “Ekwiyamak,” which translates roughly to “the place yonder where it rains.” The title is apt as the higher elevations of the park receives an average of over 30 inches of precipitation per year, which supported the forests and gave birth to the Sweetwater River. Menage-a-deer Consistent with much of the history of San Diego County, the Spaniards arrived and took what land they found most appealing, which was almost everything. This land, rich with animal pasture and numerous water sources, became ranch land until the gold rush brought an influx of white settlers. The nearby Stonewall Mine turned out to be the most productive gold mine in the region, although the boom did not last for long. The area surrounding the mine remained ranchland until the state purchased the region and turned it into a state park to protect the vast landscape. Misty Mountain Hop You may have noticed that I keep talking about the forests in the past tense. This is because in 2003, the most dramatic and devastating event in Cuyamaca’s history arrived in the form of the 243,000 acre Cedar Fire. This fire, which remains the most destructive in California history, swept over the entirety of the park in its terminal stages. Prior to the
Trail Stats
22.6 km
518 m
1977 m
1310 m
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