Oak Grove Trail to High Point Hike

13.5 miles - Hard Effort
5-6 Hours (Total)
3,600 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 6,140 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

The 13.5 mile Oak Grove Trail to High Point hike starts in historic Warner Springs and gently makes it's way up to one of the only active fire towers in San Diego County, which also happens to be the tallest fire tower in California. On the way you'll be rewarded with panoramic views of San Diego County and the high mountains of Southern California. The hike is not too technical and includes fire roads, but it is still a decent challenge with a fair amount of climbing.

In this Guide:

Oak Grove Trail to High Point Hike Directions
Oak Grove Trail Maps
Gear & Prep For the Hike

Quick Links:
Parks Pass - Park Website - NOAA Weather Report - My Apr 2024 Gear

Getting to the Trailhead

The trickiest part of the hike is finding parking and then getting to the "trail trail" from the parking lot. I'll talk about getting to the trail in the directions section, but first let's get the car parked.

Use this trailhead address:
USDA Forest Service Oak Grove Fire Station, Warner Springs, CA 92086

The trailhead parking is across the street from the Oak Grove Campground, and just north of the actual Oak Grove Fire Station.

Oak Grove Trailhead Parking — Park in the area marked by the red circle. The parking to the south is for the fire station.

You need to display a Parks Pass or Adventure Pass to park here.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 2 — There's not a ton of parking here but I've never seen it crowded. Worse case, you can park across the street at the campground.

Oak Grove Dec 23 Updatrs1 — Look for the Oak Gove Trailhead parking sign. (thanks to Mike W of the update)

Gear For the Hike

It's a long hike and I'd recommend proper hiking gear. There's very little shade, so prepare accordingly. I bring 3L of water; there's nowhere to refill on the route. There can also be bugs so a head net and repellant are good to have. And like many of the peaks around San Diego, it can get very hot in the summer and it can snow in the winter, although it's generally snow-free.

Gear That I Love Right Now

Nothing is sponsored or promoted, just the actual gear that I use.

Garmin InReach Mini 2If you are out of cellphone range the Mini 2 will reliably allow you to hit SOS via satellite. You can see my review here.

HOKA Speedgoat 5These are a great balance of comfort and performance. The high stack height leaves my feet feeling great after a hike.

Check out the complete list here.

Oak Grove Trail to High Point Trail Maps

You get a little bit of everything on these trails. The beginning winds through some residential areas, then there's a primitive trail commonly find in Cleveland NF, and then fire roads. I don't normally enjoy hiking fire roads but the views on this route make it a pleasure.

Use This Map:
View in CalTopo | PDF Map | GPX File

How Will You Navigate?

Using the Apple Watch for Hiking

Garmin Fenix 7 & Epix Review For Hikers

How To Read a Topographic Map

Garmin GPSMAP 67i Review

Elevation Profile

Oak Grove Trail To High Point Hike Elevation — There's no escaping it, you have to go up for the payoff. The good news is that aside from a few short steep sections, it's a gradual climb.

Hike Landmarks

Landmark	Distance	Elevation
Parking	0	2750
Trail Start	0.6	2850
Fire Road Start	2.0	4200
Palomar Divide Road	5.4	5600
High Point	6.5	6140

3D Trail Map

Oak Grove Trail To High Point 3d Map — The trail climbs up the side of the mountain until it reaches the ridgeline. From there you follow the ridge and fire roads to the summit of Palomar Mountain.

Hike Notes

Warner And His Ranch — Don't let JJ Warner's beard scare you off; there's a lot of interesting history on this hike. Here's the original Warner Ranch that stood close to the trailhead. Warner Springs was an important area in the early settlement of Southern California. Photo Jack Boucher

The hike starts in Warner Springs, which seems like it's in the middle of nowhere, but actually has a lot of interesting history.
- Warner Springs is named after Juan Jose Warner, who was originally born in Connecticut as Jonathan Trumbull Warner (1807) but changed his name after becoming a Mexican citizen. At the age of 23 he was diagnosed as an "invalid" and decided to prove the doctors wrong by heading out west on a wagon train. He worked in a Los Angeles merchandise store for several years, saving his money, and then secured a land grant from the Mexican government in this area. On that grant he built the ranch and town of Warner Springs. In 1847 when the USA took California from Mexico, the only ones who fared worse than the Mexicans were the local Cupeño tribes. The US government tried to tax the Cupeño, which triggered violent uprisings. And then an earlier claimant to the land sued Warner and got it back. It was all too much for Warner, who moved to LA where he became a politician. You can read JJ Warner's account of his time in the West here.
- Warner Springs was an important stop for wagon-train emigrants in the mid-1800s. The springs were at the end of a long desert section of the Gila Trail, a popular route that most emigrants to Southern California took. Warner Springs was the first place where they could find water and respite from the long desert crossing. It was also the split where those heading to LA went north, and those heading to San Diego went west.
- During the Civil War the Union built Camp Wright here to protect the Gila Trail. There were actually some battles fought in Warner Springs between the Union and Confederates lead by Daniel Showalter. The nearby Stonewall Peak also has some Confederate history.
- The Oak Grove trailhead is near the site of the Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station, a stop on one of the most important transportation routes in the settlement of Southern California.
- In 1901 the US Government evicted the Cupeño and they were forcibly moved to a nearby reservation on the “Cupeño Trail of Tears.”
The fire tower at High Point is a cool one. First built in 1935 for the US Forest Service, the tower was rebuilt in 1964 and is now the tallest fire tower in California. The tower is staffed by volunteers of the San Diego-Riverside Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA).
Here's what the fire tower looked like in 1935.
- You can't climb up the tower, but you can talk with the friendly folks who do the fire watch. They usually say hello when hikers come up the mountain.
- "High Point" refers to the fact that the tower sits on the highest point of Palomar Mountain.
- Volunteers in the tower do 8-hour watches and are required to do a 360-degree scan every 15 minutes. If they spot a smoke plume they use an Osborn Fire Finder to pinpoint the location and then call it into fire dispatchers.
The Oak Grove Trail, where the hike starts, is the oldest established trail on the Palomar Ranger District of Cleveland National Forest.

How To Hike to High Point From Oak Grove

The beginning of the hike can be the trickiest. Luckily it's well marked with trail signs, but it doesn't feel like a hike as you wind your way through a small residential area. This area houses the local Hotshots fire-fighting team.

Oak Grove Trail Start — Here's an overview of the beginning of the hike from the parking lot.

Oak Grove Dec 23 Updatrs2 — There's now a sign at the start (thanks to Mike W of the update)

Oak Grove High Point Hike 3 — From the lot head to the Northwest corner to the dirt road.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 4 — Look for the post that marks the Oak Grove Trail. Once you leave the lot bear to the left on the dirt road.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 5 — Go straight on the dirt road following the Oak Grove signs.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 6 — Keep going straight on the dirt road.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 7 — The dirt road crosses a wash.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 8 — Look for the Oak Grove sign and turn to the left onto a trail (leaving the road).

Oak Grove Start 2 — Here's an overview of the next section. You're on a trail, dirt road, then back on a trail. That's the end of the tricky part.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 9 — This short section is a trail and still well marked.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 10 — When the trail section ends, you are back on the dirt road. Keep bearing right on the road.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 11 — Bear right onto the dirt road to the right.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 12 — There's a short stretch on the dirt road.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 13 — TADA! Finally you're out of the residential maze and onto the Oak Grove Trail proper. Make the right!

Oak Grove High Point Hike 14 — The trail climbs up the mountainside with some steep sections and switchbacks. It can be overgrown but is generally easy to follow.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 15 — The steep sections can have some loose dirt. You'll be climbing up to the hills in front of you.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 16 — You'll start getting some sweet views down into Warner Springs.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 17 — And shortly after that you'll get even better views including San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, and Cahuilla Mountain in the foreground.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 18 — The trail ends at the Oak Grove Truck Trail. Make the right and hike up the truck trail.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 19 — There's a nice sign by the trail so you don't miss it on the way back down.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 1 — The fire road is easy to follow and is pretty sandy.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 20 — Go straight through the gate along the truck trail.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 21 — Keep left as the dirt road becomes High Point Road.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 22 — As High Point Road twists south you'll be able to spot High Point Fire Tower in the distance.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 23 — Continue on the fire road which starts to level off as it approaches a saddle.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 24 — High Point Road goes over a saddle that offers nice views to the south of Santa Rosa and Toro Peak.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 25 — Shortly after that you come to a junction. Make the right on Palomar Divide Truck Trail.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 27 — Keep going straight on the road, avoiding the left which seems like the way to the summit. We're going to twist around the north side of Palomar Mountain before reaching the summit.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 28 — When you get to the railing, make the hard left and continue uphill through a shaded section.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 29 — When you reach the split, bear left to hit the summit.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 30 — Keep your eyes open to the right for a glimpse of Palomar Observatory.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 31 — And BOOM here you are at the summit.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 32 — If you see the fire watcher be sure to say hello. Every time that I'm up here I have a nice conversation with them.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 33 — There's also some picnic benches where you can take a break and have a snack.

Oak Grove High Point Hike 34 — From here you just head back the way you came. Have fun!

Need More Info?

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

Related Guides

Hike Cuyamaca Peak

Tahquitz Peak via Devil's Slide Trail Hike

Hiking Stonewall Peak Trail

Black Mountain Trail to the Fire Lookout (Idyllwild, CA)

Palomar Mountain Observatory Trail

Eagle Rock Hike on the PCT (San Diego)

Hiking San Diego

Cleveland National Forest Hiking

Popular Guides

Best Hiking Gear 2024

Hiking Boots or Shoes: Do I Really Need Hiking Boots?

When to Hit SOS on inReach

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!). You can stay up to date with my new guides by following me on YouTube, Instagram, or by subscribing to my monthly newsletter.