Hike Cuyamaca Peak

In This Guide	Turn by Turn Hike Directions & Video Cuyamaca Peak Trail Maps How to Get to Cuyamaca Peak
Distance	6 miles (9.7 km)
Hike Time	2:30 Hours (Total)
Difficulty	Moderate
Total Ascent (?)	1,610 feet (491m)
Highest Elevation	6,512 feet (1985m)
Fees & Permits	Park Fee
Dog Friendly	Leashed
Park Website	Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Park Phone	760-765-0755

The hike to Cuyamaca Peak brings you to San Diego County’s second highest point at 6,512 feet. It’s only 20 feet lower than the highest peak, but much easier to hike. On a clear day, you can see for 100 miles from the summit, including the Coronado Islands and Table Top Mountain in Mexico. Even though the hike goes to a high point, it’s not a tough backcountry expedition, but rather a a great hike for a beginner – no tricky twists and turns.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, where the Cuyamaca Peak lives, is also a beautiful spot and worth the visit. The park is 24,700 acres of oak and conifer forests, with pristine meadows and mountain streams. Originally the Kumeyaay Indians made this area their home, and Cuyamaca is a Kumeyaay word for “the place where it rains” since the higher peaks here get about 3 times more rain a year than the rest of San Diego.

Wild Turkey Cuyamaca — Keep your eyes open for wild turkeys. They’re easier to spot on the lower slopes of the Cuyamaca Peak hike where there’s low scrub. Photo Kevin Cole.

You would think that Cuyamaca would be very lush, but it’s not. It’s still recovering from a devastating forest fire. In 2003, 90% of Cuyamaca park burnt down during California’s largest recorded wildfire, started by a lost hunter who made a signal fire. You’ll see evidence of the fire on the hike to Cuyamaca Peak; there are burnt logs and trees as you do the hike. The area has recovered well, and today is home to over 200 bird species, and lots of mule deer and wild turkeys, which you have a decent chance at spotting if you leave early.

Cuyamaca Peak is the only trail in the park that you can bring leashed dogs on.

Where is Cuyamaca Peak?

Use this as the trailhead GPS address: Paso Picacho Campground, Julian, CA, 92036, USA.

Cuyamaca Peak is in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and there’s an entry fee. If you have a California State Parks Pass, entry is free. There’s camping and other hikes in the park, so if you want to make a weekend of it, it’s an option.

cuyamaca peak hike parking — There’s plenty of parking. Make the right after the entrance gate for the main lot (not the campground on the left). The parking lot has bathrooms and picnic tables.

Here’s what I recommend if you visit Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. The Cuyamaca Peak hike is right next to Stonewall Peak hike, and both can be done in a day. Break your hikes up with a picnic in Paso Picacho Campground.

Gear for the Hike

water on the cuyamaca peak hike — You can fill up your water bottles in the parking lot by the campground. It gets hot in the summer, make sure you have plenty of water. You will sweat going up this climb.

This isn’t a technical hike and you can get away with fitness clothing here. It does get hot in the summer, and cold in the winter, so check the weather for the park before you leave.

Here’s the gear that I personally use, have tested, and recommend for this hike.See All of My Best Gear Picks Here

High-Tech Hybrid Shoes

Great for all hikes – short ones to 10+ miles Feels like a sneaker but protects like a hiking boot.

Women’s Reviews

Men’s Reviews

The Best Low-Cost, High-Quality Pack

This is a super-light and comfortable backpack that can hold everything you need on a hike, including a hydration bladder. It also works great as a general backpack or carry-on.

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Best Tripod For the Outdoors

Joby tripods attach to anything. The legs are adjustable and grippy, so you can put them on trees, packs, rocks, whatever. And they work like regular tripods too. Works with everything from smartphones to DSLRs.

Checkout Joby Tripods

No company pays me to promote or push a product, all the gear you see here is gear I use and recommend. If you click an REI link and buy gear, I get a small commission that helps offset website expenses. There is no cost to you.

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Cuyamaca Peak Trail Maps

There’s something simple you can do to support these free guides!

The peak has great views, but lacks pristine nature. There are radio towers and small buildings. Don’t let that stop you from doing this hike. The views make it worth it.

Hike Cuyamaca Peak Map Downloads

Download the Hike GPX File

View a Printable PDF Hike Map

Here’s How I Navigate The Hike

People ask me all the time, so here you go. I have a few backups that you can see on my gear page, but generally I use a combination of these tools.

Garmin Fenix Map Watch

This thing does everything: maps, GPX tracks, compass, barometer, altitude, heart rate, blood oxygen, fitness tracking, sleep tracking, and the list goes on. I keep a GPX route on the watch so I can quickly glance down and make sure I’m in the right place.

Fenix Prices & Reviews

My In-Depth Review

Gaia GPS

I load a few types of offline maps onto my smartphone when I need to interact with the map in detail. I also use it before my hikes as a planning tool for all kinds of things, including finding free government land to camp on. The benefits are many, I highly recommend it.

Gaia GPS Benefits

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Topo Maps & Guide Books

Don’t be caught out if your batteries die. Take a topo map with you on the trail and learn how to read it. Some people also print my guides out for use on the hike. I’m a map geek and I love to pour over maps and guide books when planning my next adventure.

Browse Topo Maps

Great Hiking Guide Books

Don’t just rely on a cell phone, especially if you are hiking in the backcountry.