Cowles Mountain
Mission Trails Regional Park, San Diego · near San Diego (San Carlos) · San Diego
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 3 miles
- Elevation gain
- 950 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Year-round (early morning in summer heat)
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit or fee. The highest point within the city of San Diego and the city's most popular summit hike.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Highest point in San Diego city · 360° metro & ocean views · Sunrise/sunset favorite · Tijuana visible on clear days
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Beat the heat and the crowds by going at sunrise, when the light over the city and the marine layer below can be spectacular. The trail is fully exposed with no shade — summer midday is brutal. It's a popular local workout, so expect company; for solitude, explore the quieter trails elsewhere in Mission Trails park.
The guide
Cowles Mountain is San Diego's quintessential city summit — at 1,593 feet, it's the highest point within the city limits, and t…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Cowles Mountain — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 32.814, -117.033