Hikers Can Beat Heat in Laguna Mountains

Cleveland National Forest, one part of which is the southernmost of California’s 18 national forests, has a lot to offer the hiker.

Among the offerings are the sunny slopes of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County and the Laguna Mountains in San Diego County.

What’s really special about the Lagunas is the way the range seems to rise right out of the desert floor. The view from the eastern escarpment of the mountains down to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is superb.

Like their nearby neighbors, the Cuyamaca Mountains, the Lagunas manage to snag whatever clouds--and rain--drift their way. The happy result of this rain-grabbing is that the crest of the mountains is cloaked in black oak and ponderosa pine.

The native people who occupied this land were the Kwaaymii, who left the hot desert each spring to camp in the Lagunas. Besides finding relief from the searing heat of the Colorado Desert, the Kwaaymii found abundant game, water and food sources in the mountains.

The Indians were displaced by miners and settlers, who named the range laguna (Spanish for lake) for the small seasonal lagunas found here.

A scenic road--Sunrise Highway (S-1)--winds along the crest of the range.

The National Forest Service has placed the high points into a special zone called the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area. Picnic areas, campgrounds, information stations and nature trails help visitors enjoy the area.

The best way to meet the Lagunas is to take a leisurely drive along Sunrise Highway and stop at a couple of the nature trails to get acquainted with the flora and enjoy the breathtaking desert views.

Most of the 50 miles or so of trail leading through the Laguna Mountains constitute the West’s premier long-distance footpath--the Pacific Crest Trail. Most of the short nature trails described below connect with the PCT.

To reach the Laguna Mountains, take Interstate 5 (San Diego Freeway) to Carlsbad, head east on Highway 78 to Julian, then take Highway 79 to Cuyamaca Reservoir and an intersection with Sunrise Highway.

(From the San Diego area, take Interstate 8 east to S-1.)

Kwaaymii Point: A one-mile round trip. Begin at mile 30.3 of the Sunrise Highway.

A quite unusual stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail extends from Kwaaymii Point to Pioneer Mail Picnic Ground.

The trail route is the former roadbed of Sunrise Highway, which was relocated to a superior route to the west. (PCT builders removed the asphalt surface of the road in the 1970s in an attempt to keep the spirit of the long-distance trail.)

The old roadbed offers great views from 4,000 feet down to the desert floor. Hold onto your hat; it can be extremely windy along this stretch of trail.

Foster Point: 1 1/2 miles round trip. Begin at mile 25.7 of Sunrise Highway, opposite the entrance to Horse Heaven Campground.

An old dirt road (closed to vehicles) leads 1/4 mile through open Jeffrey pine forest to Flathead Flats. This retiring dirt road angles north, then connects to the Pacific Crest Trail. Head north on PCT, which leads through chaparral to a signed junction with a path leading to Foster Point.

At the point is a peak locater, a brass direction-finder installed by the local Sierra Club. Easily visible are the nearby peaks of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. On a clear day you can spot the Southland’s highest summit, Mt. San Gorgonio, located more than 80 miles away, as the crow flies.

Kwaaymii Trail: A half-mile round trip. Begin at mile 23.5 on Sunrise Highway at the Laguna Visitor Information Office.

The Kwaaymii (Kwhy-me) people were the Native American inhabitants of the Laguna Mountains before Spanish and American settlers displaced them. They lived in circular huts built of juniper branches, wove baskets from deergrass, and made jars from the red mountain clay.

You can learn about the life of the Kwaaymii by taking a nature trail that shows how these people made use of the local flora. Pick up an interpretive brochure at the Visitor Information Office that sits close to the trailhead.

Desert View Trail: 1 1/2 miles round trip. Begin at mile 23 on Sunrise Highway at the day-use parking area in Burnt Rancheria Campground. Note: There’s a very high ($8) Forest Service day-use fee; you might want to park outside the entrance to the campground.

This path meanders through a Jeffrey pine forest and ascends to a couple of desert view points. You can look out over the Cuyapaipe Indian Reservation, deserts ands and the Salton Sea.

HIKING / Laguna Mountains, San Diego County; Desert View, Pacific Crest and Kwaaymii Nature Trails.

WHERE: Laguna Mountain Recreation Area.

TERRAIN: Mile-high mountain crest, forested in oak and pine.

HIGHLIGHTS: Terrific views of the desert below.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Easy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Weekends, call the Laguna Visitor Information Office at (619) 473-8547; weekdays, contact the Descanso Ranger District, Cleveland National Forest, 3348 Alpine Blvd., Descanso, Calif. 92001, (619) 445-6235 or (619) 473-8824.