Palomar Observatory Trail
Palomar Mountain (Cleveland NF) · near Palomar Mountain · San Diego
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 4.8 miles
- Elevation gain
- 800 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Late spring–fall · November for fall color; snow possible in winter
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- A Cleveland NF Adventure Pass is required to park at Observatory Campground. Dogs allowed (National Forest) — NOTE the neighboring Palomar Mountain STATE PARK charges a fee and prohibits dogs; don't conflate the two.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- One of SD's only National Recreation Trails · Cedar/pine forest · Ends at the 200-inch Hale Telescope + museum · ~10°F cooler than the valleys
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Time your arrival to the observatory's public visiting hours so you can tour the dome and museum at the top.
The guide
A shaded, well-graded forest climb through cedars and pines that ends with a genuine destination: the Palomar Observatory, home…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Palomar Observatory Trail — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.3428, -116.8497