Cleveland National Forest is the perfect forest escape from the coastal beaches in San Diego. This easy, short loop passed through beautiful trees, meadows, and view points that reminded me of my home in Northern California.

Hike Info

Date: 2/28
Miles: 3.25 roundtrip
Elevation Change: 500 ft

Getting There

You will need a 5$ Adventure Forest Pass, so be sure to pick on up beforehand.

Although rain was predicted for the entire weekend, we all felt like we needed a break from the sun and surf. We headed to Cleveland National Forest, only an hour drive inland. We drove along the Sunrise Highway SR-1, a beautiful road that winds through the forests.

We parked at mile 19.1, used the porto potties along the side of the road, and put on all of the extra layers we brought because the temperature had dropped to a frigid 37 degrees when we set off on the trail.

The Hike

We took the Sunset Trail to the left at a junction 0.1 miles in. The gloomy weather and fog shrouded the trees, making it feel like we were wandering through a mysterious forest.

Scrambling up a rocky patch to the left of the trail. We briefly caught a glimpse of a meadow far below us through the fog.

The foggy view from the top of the rocky patch

The fog was moving so quickly that there would be periods of clear sky, only to be covered immediately in dense fog. We hit Laguna Meadows after 1.5 miles

Who would have thought San Diego had forests like these?

After another mile of hiking through the dense forest, the trees suddenly cleared to reveal an expansive meadow and a small reservoir. The Mount Laguna Observatory can also be seen sitting above the trees across the meadow.