Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → San Diego Area → North County → Doane Valley

Location: Palomar Mountain area, northeast of San Diego

Distance: 2.5 – 4 miles total (depending on the trails used)

Elevation Gain/Loss: 300 – 450 feet (depending on the trails used)

Time Required: 1.5 hours

Red Tape/Notes: No permit required. A good description of a full loop route can be found on the Modern Hiker page.

What’s Nearby?: Love Valley

This pretty hike through lovely mountain scenery provides a nice escape from civilization. There are several interconnecting trails in the area, allowing you multiple loop options, all of which start at Doane Pond, a scenic tree-rimmed body of water. The Weir Trail, which I recommend, parallels the pleasantly bubbling Doane Creek and leads to the remnants of a 1920’s dam and gauging station which you can explore. After that, you can connect with the Lower Doane Trail or the French Valley Trail and pass through rolling grasslands dotted with Ponderosa Pines as you loop back to the east.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → San Diego Area → North County → Doane Valley