Mt. Gower County Preserve
MT. GOWER COUNTY PRESERVE
A challenging hike that will take you through hills and valleys, by a water tank, and an otherworldly mountainside... Rated as tough by SD County Tour Our Trails Challenge, the hike through Swartz Canyon Trail and Mt. Gower Ridge Trail was a lively challenge.
Ramona weather on that Saturday was a cool 55°F and slightly cloudy. If it was any hotter, we would have not enjoyed the hike as much. The parking lot was almost empty and the restrooms are clean. It was not hard to find the trailhead and to figure-out the way to go.
The Swartz Trail will gradually increase your hear rate as it meanders up-and-down through chapparal and yucca stalks. You will soon reach two big boulders leaning on each other. (We found a beach chair and remains of a campfire under the two boulders that sent our imagination wild.)
Across from the two boulders is this cute bench. Go ahead and rest a while. You will need your energy for the next leg.
On the right, a .25-mile trail to the summit will take you to a view of San Diego Country Estates. Straight ahead will lead you to Swartz Canyon.
Swartz Canyon is beautiful. For awhile, you forget that there is still a climb that you must do - either way.
Up to now, the hike may feel moderate, especially on a cool day. However, a steep climb forward brings you to the Mt. Gower Ridge Trail and this is definitely a tough trail. Set your sights upon a water tank to mark your first mini-summit and rest.
From here, the sign indicating a further 3.8 miles to the viewpoint and the challenge's photo-op proof may seem insurmountable. Hang in there!
There were more mini-summits to conquer. The up-down-up-down trail was definitely hard on my knees. Hiking shoes and trekking poles definitely helped.
Traversing the tough trail, it almost makes us feel that we barely made a dent on the mileage. So, seeing the last trail marker was encouraging.
A little further and we saw the unique rock formations that serve as the photo-op evidence for this hike. It looked otherworldly. One hiker we met described it as, "looked like the moon."
We could have stopped right there, but there's a small scramble to the viewpoint. And oh, my! The view of Cleveland National Forest on a cloudy day was just beautiful.
A drizzle. Sadly, it's time to leave. The hike back was of course, up-down-up-down again. We couldn't make up our minds if it was tougher going or returning. Though, the fun we had with the unique rock formations make for lasting memories.
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| Sea Lion and I |
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| Baby Elephant and I |
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| Bear and I |
Address: 17090 Gunn Stage Road, Ramona, CA 92065
Parking: Free, 8:00AM to sunset (closed August)
Restroom: Yes