Hellhole Canyon County Preserve

By -

 HELLHOLE CANYON COUNTY PRESERVE


The name scared us a bit and it is rated "tough" by the SD County Tour Our Trails Challenge. Even the featured photo of Hell Creek does not seem to offer much of a creek to be excited about. So, why hike here?

Driving from San Diego to Valley Center is delightful. Exiting the hurry of the freeway and intentional-crawl as we drove the winding road of the mountainside literally puts you at a relaxing mindset (although it helps that I'm not driving).
 

Lake Wohlford


The sign looked inviting, the trailhead looked clean, and there's even clean restrooms. Although there was a total of only 5 cars parked so it gave us a pause. "Hell Creek Trail" and "Hell Creek" photo-op specified in the Tour Our Trails Challenge booklet are not on the trailhead kiosk map or brochure map. Are we in the right place? And then reading the brochure, "Hell Creek Trail... Remember that your downhill descent also means a steep uphill hike on the way out." Descent to... should we dare?




At the bottom, you will cross an itsy-bitsy creek with hardly any water flowing. It's not even summer yet! But just like how the wilderness gracefully bounced back from the wildfires of 2003 and 2007, the creek symbolizes how nature simply finds a way. 



We continued on, still wondering why the name "Hellhole." The park brochure states, "settlers to the area around the turn of the century gave colorful names to features within the canyon, such as Hell and Paradise Creeks, Horsethief Canyon and Paradise Mountain." Colorful indeed! Plants jutting out of rocks provide color on the trail.

Hell Creek Trail



A very cheerful hiker encouraged us to take the take the Horsethief Loop Trail since it's just a .7-mile loop. We're glad we did because we met some friends. 



No rattle, not a rattlesnake

Fox?

Caterpillar

The view of the canyon was quite beautiful, but I loved the picturesque trail more.


California Dodder lining the trail



Walking back to the beginning of the loop, we saw a structure that could be from the Escondido Canal constructed in the late 1800s or a flume. More research needed here. 


On the other hand, with the flowers, all we needed was an app to help us identify them.  

Chaparral Yucca


Thick-leaved Yerba Santa

Now for the "steep uphill hike on the way out." We definitely took a pause here-and-then to catch our breath. 


Apart from the name and the sweat on our bodies, nothing about this place seems to deserve the name "hellhole." In fact, two Echo Azure moth seemed to give us a heavenly good-bye. 


  
Address: 19324 Santee Lane, Valley Center, CA 92082
Parking: Free, but only open Friday-Monday (closed August), 8:00 AM to sunset
Restroom: Yes