Elfin Forest (Way Up Trail)
Harmony Grove, Escondido · near Escondido · San Diego
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- strenuous
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 7.1 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,500 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Fall through spring · Closes in rain and Santa Ana winds; hot April–Nov
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit or fee, but the reserve has gated daily hours (~8am–5pm, seasonal) and CLOSES during rain and Santa Ana winds. Managed by Olivenhain Municipal Water District — verify status before going.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Steep 'Way Up' climb · Lake Hodges overlook · Escondido Creek riparian canyon · Ridge-top off-leash dog area
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Check the Olivenhain Water District status page the morning of — the whole reserve gates shut in rain or Santa Ana winds, and the gates lock at closing whether you're back or not. Start the climb early; the upper trail bakes.
The guide
The Way Up Trail earns its blunt name with a steep, rocky grind out of the shaded Escondido Creek canyon to ridge-top views ove…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Elfin Forest (Way Up Trail) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.0847, -117.1524