Volcan Mountain
Julian · near Julian · San Diego
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 5 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,200 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Spring (wildflowers) and fall (oak color) · Pleasant most of the year
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- Free; free parking (~20–25 spaces). The gate closes at sunset, so time your finish.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 0 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Hubbell-designed timber gateway arch · Oak/pine forest · Ocean-to-Salton-Sea summit view (5,353 ft) · Fall foliage
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- The summit is 15–20°F cooler and windier than the trailhead — bring a wind layer even on warm valley days. Go up the forested Five Oaks Trail and descend the fire road.
The guide
The classic Julian hike, beginning under a sculptural wooden gateway by artist James Hubbell and climbing through oak woodland …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Volcan Mountain — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.0977, -116.5966