Lower Doane Valley and French Valley Hike

4.2 miles - Easy Effort
2 Hours (Total)
630 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 4,670 feet
No Dogs Allowed

The hike through Lower Doane Valley and French Valley at Palomar Mountain State Park is a gem; every twist and turn offers something natural and beautiful. You'll follow the lush Doane Creek, hike through groves of giant trees, across mountain meadows, visit a historic weir, and find a hidden pool of French Creek. There are ups and downs, but no big mountain climbs on this short 4 mile hike.

In this Guide:

Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions for the Lower Doane Valley and French Valley Hike
How to Get to the Lower Doane Valley and French Valley Hike
Insider Tips and Recommendations

Quick Links: Palomar Mountain State Park - Weather Forecast - Top Gear Picks (Sep 2023)

When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

Doane is pronounced doe-n.

Where is the Lower Doane Valley and French Valley Hike?

The hike is located in Palomar Mountain SP. Drive into the park and follow the signs for Doane Pond. There's also a (private) retreat by the pond that might be more GPS-friendly. Use this trailhead address:
Camp Palomar, 34798 Doane Valley Rd, Palomar Mountain, CA 92060

There is an entry fee to enter Palomar Mountain State Park.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 40 — Look for the Doane Pond Day Use Area turnoff.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 41 — The parking lot is massive.

Gear For the Hike

While not long, this is a hike through the backcountry. The trail is overgrown in places; having long pants will protect your legs. In the summer, insects can be intense, bring repellant. And in the winter, this can all be covered with snow. Check the weather before you go.

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Garmin inReach Mini 2 ( Amazon | REI )
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Lower Doane Valley and French Valley Trail Maps

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 37 — There are unofficial trails in the meadow area of the hike. Stay on the official trail (as described here) and respect the restoration.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 38 — The very beginning and end of the hike are on the Doane Valley Nature Trail, which has interpretive displays along the way. You can download the PDF to follow along here.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 39 — On the second half of the hike you'll see evidence of the massive 2007 Poomacha Fire, which destroyed 65% of the park. It was started when a vehicle fire spread into the surrounding vegetation.

The trails on this hike are relatively easy to follow, and there are trail markers and signs along the way. That said, some maps include trails that are no longer there or that are closed for restoration. Following the maps from this guide will keep you on the official trails. There's also a handy map that the park gives out that's worth saving on your phone.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

Best Smartphone Apps to Navigate: AllTrails | GaiaGPS | OnX

3D Map

Who's Doane?

George Edwin Doane 2 — Here's George Edwin Doane (1851-1929) in his namesake valley, around 1904.

Doane's forefathers were one among the first English settlers, arriving in Plymouth in 1630, just 10 years after the Mayflower first landed.
Originally from the San Jose area, George Edwin Doane lived several years around San Diego before getting a homestead for the valley in 1885.
In 1894 Doane started advertising for campers on his property. The fee was $0.15 a night.
Known to be social and humorous, Doane became as much as an attraction as the beautiful surroundings. He would host bonfires, tell stories of mountain life, and bake cakes and treats.
And now the not so charming part. In 1904, at the age of 53, he married a 16 year old from Texas that he met through a matrimonial magazine (yes, a mail order bride). The marriage lasted ten years before divorce. Shortly after that, Doane was arrested on charges of raping a 12 year old girl. The charges were dropped after Doane paid the girl $1500 cash.
With his reputation tarnished, Doane moved to a town by the Mexican border, then traveled to South America, where he planned on staying. He lasted a few months before sailing back the USA, this time to New York City.
Doane became the celebrity mountain man in New York, with his long beard and wilderness pedigree. He was interviewed in several newspapers and well-known.
From there, it's a bit anti-climatic. Doane lived in New Mexico, and then passed away at the age of 78 in the area where he was born, San Jose, of pneumonia.

Lower Doane Valley and French Valley Hike Directions

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Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 42 — There are two trailheads at the parking lot. Take the smaller one on the right.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 43 — Here's what the trailhead looks like up close.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 44 — Our first stop will be the weir in 1.2 miles.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 45 — Right at the beginning the trail crosses the road that you came in on.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 46 — There's a short downhill.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 47 — And then you are plunged onto a lush trail following Doane Creek. It doesn't feel like you are anywhere near San Diego.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 48 — You'll hike under huge pines, cedars, and oaks as the trail follows the creek.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 49 — At the junction with the Weir Trail, make the left and climb the stairs.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 50 — Here's the sign from the last junction. 0.9 miles to the weir.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 51 — The trail has the same feel as it did before, continuing along the creek.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 52 — I love this primitive bench along the trail.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 53 — Right after the bench, the Baptist Trail joins from the left. Keep straight.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 54 — And then you'll get glimpses of the meadow in Lower Doane Valley.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 55 — The trail crosses the creek and then splits. Take the left to visit the weir. We'll come back here after visiting the weir to continue on the loop.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 56 — There's a trail marker for the Weir Trail.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 57 — And then it gets very overgrown. This trail doesn't see a ton of traffic.

Keep your eyes open for banana slugs along the water and rocks. They are found widely in the Pacific Northwest down to the Sierras, but not in SoCal, except in this isolated pocket of Palomar State Park. This moist area is a good spot to catch a glimpse of one.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 58 — After a short while you reach the weir, where Pauma Creek joins Doan Creek.

The weir (a low or small dam) and the building, which is called a gauging station, were built in the early 1900 hundreds. They were built by Pacific Light and Power Company to determine if there was enough water flow to support a hydroelectric generator and reservoir in Doane Valley. The power station would provide electric power for trains in the lowlands. It never happened.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 59 — Head back to the last junction and make the left to continue the hike.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 60 — The trail is grassy but easy to follow, and there are periodic trail markers.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 61 — When you get to the junction, make the left onto the French Valley Trail.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 62 — Now you'll be hiking through the middle of the meadow.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 63 — At the junction, go straight.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 64 — And shortly after that a trail will join from the right. We'll be going back on that trail.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 65 — Keep hiking into Lower French Valley.

French Valley is named after Hubert and Jean Baptiste Foussat, homesteaders and sheep farmers who lived here in the 1880s.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 66 — Hike through the gully.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 67 — Then head up French Valley as it narrows. To your left is French Creek.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 68 — When the valley narrows, look for a small turnoff to the left.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 69 — Right after the turnoff, make the left at the boulder.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 70 — And here you are at the hidden pool. In the winter and spring, there will be water flowing down French Creek is small cascading waterfalls. On the day that I created this guide, I could see decent sized fish in the pool.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 71 — From the pool, return to the trail. You can keep going straight, but the trail peters out and officially ends when the state park ends at the border of Cleveland National Forest (as seen here). Otherwise just turn around and head back to Lower Doane Valley.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 72 — When you get to the v-shaped split, make the left. We came up on the righthand trail.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 73 — The trail moves away from the meadow into the forest.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 74 — Hike through the oaks and pines in this shaded section.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 75 — And then there is an incredible tree laying on its side. I don't know if it grew like this or fell, but it's incredible. Hike underneath it.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 76 — Here's what it looks like underneath.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 77 — Hike straight as the Lower Doane Trail enters from the right.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 78 — There's some more beautiful shaded sections.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 79 — And then make the hard right onto the Doane Valley Nature Trail.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 80 — Follow this down and back towards Doane Creek.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 81 — There's a bit of a downhill.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 82 — Enjoy all the beautiful (and huge) cedars here.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 83 — And then after crossing Doane Creek you reach the junction where we turned off for the weir. Hike back the way we came in from here.

Doane Valley French Valley Hike Directions 84 — And after a short climb you'll be back at the parking lot. That's the hike!

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!).

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