Cowles Mountain

"Arrived around 7AM and the parking lot seemed full, but there was plenty of street parking. I jogged up to Cowles (25-30 minutes), then mostly walked to Pyles Peak. I mostly jogged the way back to the trailhead. The fog cleared up halfway through the hike and the views are beautiful." — oskar156 • Apr 10, 2026

"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

"Since it was a cool evening, we decided to climb the most popular peak in Mission Trails before the weather got too much hotter. So after work, we headed out to the back side of the park and headed up Big Rock trail to the summit at 5:05pm. Only saw a couple others on the little trail, but things picked up once we hit the fire road. Even saw a few running monks along the way. Overall stats: 4.62 mi, 1,226' elevation gain in a leisurely 2:02." — erinfetters • May 6, 2022

"I summmited this peak in an attempt to be the highest person in San Diego. There were some antennas and a sign a the summit, no Benchmark. The summit had okay views, not great. It was also about 97 degrees when I hiked this in May. I can't imagine how it dud be like in August. This video will help you visualize this hike https://youtu.be/XuPP604Ij1c" — lcnguyen • Jan 3, 2022

"Another big day today, bagging 7 more peaks from the SD 100 Peak Challenge (Derek's List). Started out by completed the Mission Trails 5 Peak Challenge (Cowles, Pyles, Kwaay Paay, North Fortuna and South Fortuna). Then on my way back I decided to complete Tooth Rock and Twin Peaks. Peaks 9 through 15 of the challenge. Total miles today 17.91 and 5,825 feet in elevation gain." — Philip-Yoho • Jan 5, 2021

"Started at Cowles Staging Area trail head located on Navajo Dr. Trail head has, water, toilets, maps, vending and even a sunscreen station. This trail is always very busy and parking is often an issue, especially on weekends and holidays. This trail is marked as difficult at the trail head, but I would rate as easy. I often see children making the hike to the top. I would warn that this trail can be difficult during the summer months when high temps will cause issues. I took advantage of the cool temps and scattered showers today. Was glad I brought my day pack as having rain gear came in handy. Did not spend much time on the summit, quickly making my way back to the staging area. Total time app. 1:30 with about 850’ elevation gain. Quick easy climb. During summer be sure to bring water and proper sun protection. Also please be kind and take all trash including pet waste off the hill. " — Mtstalker • May 21, 2019

"Completed the Mission Trails Five Peak Challenge in San Diego. Five peaks (Cowles Mountain, Pyles Mountain, Kwaay Paay, North Fortuna and South Fortuna) in one day. An added bonus of climbing Peak 1380 along the way to Pyles from Cowles." — Philip-Yoho • Dec 1, 2018

"Get there before the sun comes up if you're a hiker that enjoys peace and quiet. I got here about 6:30 and the nearest parking was a few blocks down..Had my 3 year old daughter with me and I can't count the number of times she almost got ran into by joggers with zero etiquette. Switchbacks all the way up made for an easy climb. So easy in fact we continued onto Pyles peak. " — spr_kween • Sep 1, 2018

"This is a popular San Diego area hike. It didn't help me much that I arrived at about noon on a Sunday. I took my place in the line of hikers that climbed to the summit. After reaching the top I continued on to Peak 1380 and Pyles Peak, where I was able to claim three peaks on a single hike. Hiking totals for all three peaks: 6.5 miles with 1,650 feet of elevation gain." — MikeTeeples • Sep 10, 2017

"This is a great hike for beginners. It’s kind of urban, but hey, it’s in San Diego. This route takes an route with less crowds and easier parking. The views are incredible! I have a full trip report and turn by turn directions on my blog here: https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/cowles-mountain-hike-san-diego-highest-point/" — HikingGuy • Nov 18, 2015