Southern most of protected forest lands in California includes 430,000
acres of San Diego, Orange and Riverside divided into three distinct
areas. Comprises of conifer woodlands and chaparral.
Also home to formerly the world's largest observatory atop
Palomar Mountain.
Recreation:
[
Camping /
Biking /
Outdoor Scenic Trails ]
Cleveland National Forest
10845 Rancho Bernardo Rd, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92127-2107; (619) 674-2901;
Cleveland N.F. was originally set aside by President Roosevelt in 1908
to protect its watershed (not all national forests are designated to
manage timber). Today its 430,000 acres is only one-quarter of its
original size and is covered mostly by oak woodlands and dense chaparral.
The popular driving loop to see the best of Cleveland N.F. is to
follow Sunrise Highway (County Hwy-S1) up past Mount Laguna.
Wildlife - Over 78 sensitive, threatened
or endangered species live here.
Birding - Includes the Golden Eagle.
Laguna Meadow - One of Southern California's
great mountain meadows. Scenic hiking trails and spring wildflowers located of
Sunrise Highway (Hwy-S1).
El Prado Campground - Located off Sunrise
Highway (Hwy-S1).
Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve - Outdoor trails (619) 765-0650;
Roberts Ranch - Outdoor trails (619) 445-3904
Palomar Mountain
One of the best outdoor locations in San Diego and home to formerly the
largest astronimical observatory in the world.
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Located six miles north of Descanso on SR-79.
24,677 acres and visitor center with access to
camping,
fishing and
scenic wilderness trails. (619) 765-0755.
At Cuyamaca look for the waterfalls near Green Valley Campground,
headwaters to the Sweetwater River. There are also hidden meadows
near Granite Springs or Milk Ranch Road. And great views from the
top of Cuyamaca Peak or Stonewall Peak.
Pacific Crest Trail
Spend a week (or more) hiking and camping this major trail the
runs along the ridgetop of the local mountains.
This is the premier route for extended mountain backpacking trips in Southern California.
Abundant opportunities to explore side trails, camping, fishing, native wildlife and more.
On a very clear day (typically after a major storm) you can see far out to the ocean islands to the
one side and deep across the desert to the other.
Borrego Springs
600,000 acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in the contiguous United States and
voted the #1 state park in California by National Geographic. This area was first traversed by Spanish explorer
Juan Batiste de Anza in 1774. Another 100 years would pass before the first settlers would come to stay and inhabit
this area. Visitors can traverse canyons full of desert palms, ancient pictographs, majestic cactus and early spring wildflowers.
Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve
Rising over 5,000 feet and covering more than 25,000 acres, this majestic 15 mile ridge lies in the heart of San Diego County's backcountry, stretching
from Lake Henshaw to the Anza Borrego Desert with the historic town of Julian at its feet.
MainTour U.S. Forest Adventures
MainTour's special feature of exciting vacation getaways
to popular forest retreats. Perfect for people who love the great outdoors.
Tour Julian
This gold-mining town, located in the mountains above Escondido on SR-78,
gives visitors witha sense of early California. Main Street is a collection
of false-front stores, wooden sidewalks, and the historical Julian Hotel.
Mount Laguna Observatory [MLO] - SDSU
MLO is located forty-five miles east of downtown San Diego, at an altitude of 6100 ft. (1859 meters) on the remote eastern
edge of the Cleveland National Forest. MLO is well protected from the urban lighting of the San Diego metropolitan area.
MLO has grown to include four well-equipped telescopes, ranging in size from 16- to 40-inches and has plans to add a 100-inch in the near future.
Tour Southern California Astronomy Adventure Guide - More info for this topic.
Warner Springs SERE Training Facility
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape [SERE] training is conducted at the U.S. Navy's Training Site in Warner Springs, CA located in the Cleveland National Forest. It is in a remote area near the community of Warner Springs in the northeastern San Diego County, at an elevation of about 3200 feet. The Camp consist of a headquarters area with an administrative building, several staff barracks building, a wastewater treatment plant, and a training compound.
San Diego Marriott - Online Directory
MainTour Online Rates Special!
Follow this link to see a listing of all major Marriott Hotel Resorts in the
greater San Diego region complete with online room search, special discount rates
and online reservation booking service.