The "San Diego 10". Just the classics. Includes 10 iconic peaks in San Diego County. All have defined trails to the summit and lie on public lands. Peaks include the "uphill both ways" El Cajon Mountain, Cuyamaca Peak (the highest publicly-accessible peak in San Diego County), and Villager Peak (the most challenging peak with a trail -- not for the faint of heart!). Created by peakery member Derek Loranger.
Highest peak
Cuyamaca Peak
6,512 ft / 1,984 m
Most prominent peak
Palomar Mountain High Point
2,856 ft / 870 m prom
Most summited peak
Cowles Mountain
154 summits
Most difficult peak
Volcan Mountain
Class 1
Difficulty breakdown
Class 1/2 2 peaks
Highlights
Latest summits
"Picked up the PCT right outside of Lake Morena Campground. Went 3.1 miles south to find the summit use trail slightly visible to the right. The trail was pretty clear much of the way toward the summit, in about 1.5 miles. Toward the end, rock ducks helped keep me on course, but ultimately it comes down to good judgment. Great views up there!" — MikeTeeples • Nov 25, 2023
"Volcan Mountain with my honey and puppy. Ascended the main trail to the summit and descended the 5 oaks trail. A little over 5 miles. Lots of pretty views and berry bushes along the trail. " — maggielynn • Sep 26, 2023
"Parked on the side of Farmer Rd to begin the hike. A long driveway leads to the trailhead. It is a clear and gradual climb from there. On the way back, I picked up the Five Oaks Trail, which added some hiking variety and many more views. " — MikeTeeples • Apr 22, 2023
"First time up iron mountain! Ascended with light pace then picked up when it got steep. Feeling real good, definitely a technically hike towards the top but would absolutely do again!" — DKenney • Apr 9, 2023
"We started this hike at 7 AM. Then we went up thee Barker Way trail and started climbing. The trail was in great shape as we climbed up to Cowles. The climb was not that bad and we got glimpses of Cowles through the dense fog. Then we summited Cowles, there were no views because of the dense fog. Then we went down the right to Pyles, which we waited on it's summit for the clouds to clear out. We got an epic view of San Diego and Cowles and there was a nice summit sign. Then we went back, and summited Pyles View Peak (Peak 1380 ft) . After Pyles View, we summited Cowles. There were epic views from Cowles and then we saw the summit sign and survey benchmark. Then we went down and drove to Kwaay Paay Peak" — lc444 • Jan 11, 2023