El Capitan County Preserve — Attraction in Lakeside

The hike up from the El Capitán trailhead parking lot to El Cajón Mountain peak is a very difficult hike with steep, rocky, sandy, and sometimes slippery terrain. This trail will require light rock climbing near the peak and 1 or 2 areas along the trail. Weather should be a major consideration if you decide to hike to the peak. There are some spots of shade but they are few and far between. The sun and heat can become unbearable making the hike all the more grueling. If hiking on a day where the high temperature is greater than 85-90 degrees, I recommend arriving around 5 of 6 before the gate opens at 7, aiming to finish the hike well before noon. Some people park along the side of the main road in the dirt if the gate is closed. I would recommend a minimum of 1.5gal of water for a hot day. There are sometimes fill stations set up on the lower side of the mountain but the last one you will see is just before the 3mile marker. Definitely wear comfortable shoes with good traction that are not too heavy. I did not have hiking poles for this trek and they aren't absolutely necessary but they are highly recommended. Signs warn of rattlesnakes and mountain lions in the area but I was only attacked by horse flies. Lastly, this is a long enough hike to where I'd recommend bringing a couple fruit and/or trail bars, at the very least in case...

All the footprints in the dirt say the trail at El Capitan County Preserve is popular. Fortunately for me, a trip to the preserve on a weekday morning was the right time to hike without the crowd – I encountered only five other people during my 4-hour hike. I hiked the El Capitan Trail, the preserve’s 6-mile out and back trail to the halfway point before turning around. The trail starts one-half mile from the parking lot and is a dirt path that eventually turns into a wide dirt, gravel, and rock trail. The trail is up and down and up and down again – a change from climbing to the top and then back down after getting there. The hike was challenging and reaching the 3-mile mark was a good enough workout for me. (I was born when Ike was president). Trail signs are good, and a map is not necessary. There were very few areas where trees and shrubs blocked the sun and if you hike early in the day the hills and mountains will provide more shade. The trail is clean although I did find two unopened plastic water bottles behind a rock – someone’s emergency stash? The parking lot/staging area is a gravel lot with enough space for cars, SUVs, trucks with horse trailers, etc. The staging area is a half mile from the county preserve and trailhead. The trailhead area has a picnic table and restrooms. The preserve does not...

The trailhead for the Elcajon Mountain hike. No joke, when everyone says this is one of the most challenging hikes in San Diego, they are right. Super steep in many areas, ascending and descending in both directions, will threaten to zap all your energy on the way back. 11 miles round trip, 4000 feet of total elevation gain. Started hike at 9:30, returned around 2:30.

Do not attempt in temps above 75 degrees F.

Need 2 gallons of water for the hike, and you won't need to pee after drinking all that because you end up...