Double Peak
San Marcos · near San Marcos · San Diego
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 4 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,000 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Year-round · Clearest, coolest fall–winter for the long views
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit or fee (City of San Marcos park). Discovery Lake lot is small and fills on weekends; a paved summit lot also exists for non-hikers.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 0 of 5
What is here
- Features
- 1,646-ft summit · 360° panorama (ocean to mountains) · Summit park & plaza · Discovery Lake start
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- If you're short on time or hiking with mixed abilities, you can drive to the summit park and still get the full view — but the Discovery Lake climb is the honest way to earn it. Time it for a clear winter day after rain.
The guide
At 1,646 feet, Double Peak delivers one of coastal San Diego County's biggest payoffs-per-effort: a genuine 360-degree panorama…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Double Peak — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.1095, -117.1775