Description of hike: A hike at the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve offers i of the best places to encounter together with take away heed wild fauna inwards the area, equally good equally breathtaking views. It is i of the few places, that from the function past times of the mountain, you lot tin encounter the body of body of water together with desert at the same fourth dimension on actually clear days. This hike is an out together with dorsum hike, that has switchbacks equally you lot ascend to the function past times of Volcan Mountain which stands at 5,353 feet. We had a actually overnice breeze on the was dorsum downward from our hike! This is a moderately strenuous hike due to the elevation. The hike starts at the primary road, but in i lawsuit you lot hike inward, you lot lose sight of culture together with bask nature's sounds. The primary route volition receive got you lot all the agency to the function past times of the summit. The primary route is a relatively fifty-fifty dirt hiking trail, that was good marked when nosotros visited. Another pick is the Five Oaks Trail, which is a side trail that volition reconnect amongst the primary road. The Five Oaks Trail does non independently larn to the summit of Volcan Mountain. For a map of the hiking trails inwards this area, click Here.
Volcan Mountain is an extremely pristine together with biologically various expanse to hike in. There are over thirty unlike types of industrial plant life communities receive got been identified inwards the Volcan Mountain area, which render habitat for a broad diverseness of wild fauna species. Preliminary biological studies receive got recorded 45 unlike species of mammals, over 150 birds, 36 reptiles, 12 amphibians, together with an unknown release of insects together with other invertebrates that telephone band this expanse home. The Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve is open sunrise - sunset, 7-days a week, year-round. With an elevation of 5,353 feet, the summit is opened upwards on the weekends together with major holidays from Apr thru October.
When nosotros did this hike nosotros saw piffling patches of snowfall along the hiking trail most the summit. Snow does autumn inwards this expanse inwards the wintertime time, hence you lot desire to brand certain you lot banking concern stand upwards for the weather condition before you lot hike hither inwards the wintertime time. Also summertime thunderstorms are known to give inwards this expanse equally well, brand certain to know the weather condition conditions before you lot larn hiking on whatever hike. Camping is non allowed at the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve, but you lot could remain inwards the town of Julian, or inwards a designated camping ground expanse exterior of the town of Julian. Dogs are allowed on the hiking trail, hence long equally they receive got a leash. Personally, since nosotros saw several coyotes hunting on our agency down, nosotros wouldn't recommend taking a dog. Still, if you lot do, function along them on a leash.
Volcan Mountain is an extremely pristine together with biologically various expanse to hike in. There are over thirty unlike types of industrial plant life communities receive got been identified inwards the Volcan Mountain area, which render habitat for a broad diverseness of wild fauna species. Preliminary biological studies receive got recorded 45 unlike species of mammals, over 150 birds, 36 reptiles, 12 amphibians, together with an unknown release of insects together with other invertebrates that telephone band this expanse home. The Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve is open sunrise - sunset, 7-days a week, year-round. With an elevation of 5,353 feet, the summit is opened upwards on the weekends together with major holidays from Apr thru October.
On the hike to the summit of Volcan Mountain, in that location is an quondam outpost located most the summit. In the 1920s together with 1930s, Volcan Mountain was on the curt listing of places to trouble solid the Hale Telescope, which was ultimately placed on Palomar Mountain. Astronomers would see this expanse together with remain inwards the shelter to reveal the beautiful black sky. Now, all that is left of the outpost's beingness is simply a chimney together with an quondam box spring. Seeing the quondam construction is sort of eerie. On our hike dorsum downward from the summit of Volcan Mounatin, nosotros saw 2 coyotes hunting inwards this expanse most the quondam outpost. We besides saw lots of honey inwards this area, piece on our hike. They similar to graze inwards this expanse because it's apartment plains amongst lots of Oak trees. On the agency dorsum to the trailhead, nosotros besides saw a huge Great Horned Owl, that was perched upwards inwards a tree. It's silhouette was violet amongst the sunset.
Further thoughts: You volition desire to select enough of H2O for your hike to the summit of Volcan Mountain. There is no H2O to filter along the hike. Also, parts of the hiking trail are rather exposed, hence brand certain you lot wearable Sun protection. The hike is 5.4 miles if you lot larn all the agency to the summit. However, some people solely hike to the mid-summit, which makes the hike closed to 3.2 miles long. There were a release of trail runners utilizing this hiking trail during our see (probably because they construct forcefulness amongst the incline!). There is besides a foundation that dedictaed to the preservation of the Volcan Mountain expanse that you lot mightiness desire to banking concern stand upwards for out. The Volcan Mountain Foundation has a lot of neat links together with data on their website.
After our hike, nosotros went dorsum into the town of Julian and ate at our FAVORITE Italian restaurant, Romano's. They brand an amazing pizza--everything is handmade from scratch. It's non fancy, hence come upwards equally you lot are! If you lot larn upwards to Julian before inwards the day, before your hike, you lot tin besides hitting the Candied Apple. It has the BEST pies inwards my opinion--better than Mom's or Julian Pie Company. The Candied Apple has a actually practiced Sour Cream Apple pie, together with a crumb cake. It's similar you're at your keen grandma's cabin inwards the mountains--so fresh! Volcan Mountain is a practiced hike to do if you lot desire to explore the town of Julian together with bask some nature.
Rating: Elevation Gain: 1,253 ft. to the summit (Moderate-Strenuous), Distance: 5.4 Miles Roundtrip to the summit (Moderate-Strenuous).
Time to Complete Hike: 2 - iv hours.