An ode to «Earthquake Easter Sunday 2010» I like big hikes and I cannot lie You silly Mission Trails Regional Park hikes can’t deny That when a long 14-mile trail hikes in with a huge fatty waist And miles of nature in your face YOUGETSPRUNG Wanna pull up tough Cuz you notice that hike was stuffed(and with a creek too) Deep in the bushes we’re passing I’m hooked and I can’t stop hiking Oh, Harvey Moore I wanna get with ya And take your picture No one tried to warn me But that long hike you got Make me so sweaty Ooh, rump of thorny bushes You say you wanna get in my ’82 Ford Festiva(w/13″ hubcap spinners) Well use me use me ‘cuz this ain’t that average hike HARVEYMOORETRAILGOTBACK(14+ miles of it) Road less traveled? Try Harvey Moore. I promise, you won’t regret it. See wild turkeys(no, not the whiskey), have a horse pee on you, avoid lyme-disease carrying ticks, get scraped by thorn bushes; this isn’t your Mission Trails hike!
Heather W.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
Here is a real nature experience. Coming from San Diego, most of my hike outings have been relatively close to residential and other ‘hikers’ are plentiful. It’s nice and all, but at times feels a bit fake. But Descanso, our neighbor to the not so distant east, finally quenched my Real Nature Thirst. It’s definitely a different environment: rolling open fields, erie sleep hollow trees(even one fun to climb and get all sooty! [from its burnt state], ridges with flowing water below, creeks, forest-y parts… it really has it all! oh, including ticks that carry lyme disease, too — FYI. Some fellow hikers gave us the heads up to continuously check your socks and skin. There are some good climbs but mainly it’s a distance factor that gives you your work out(roughly 14 miles). For the most part we were left to ourselves and nature, only occasionally running into horseback riders, and a a few hikers — could have been partly due to being Easter Sunday, but something tells me it allows for less foot traffic in general compared to other hiking areas. The funniest aspect of the visit was getting overly excited at spotting wild turkeys. That’s how wilderness-starved I have become! This is definitely a great area to explore as a ½ day trip. If possible, acquire a map of the grounds before heading out. The trail markers can get confusing and it’s easy to question if you are heading the right direction. Even GPS won’t save you out here because reception can be lacking. We were lucky to run into 2 rangers on horses to verify getting back to our starting point. Added bonus to coming here: head to the store off the main road for some Dudley’s Julian apple pie… ab-so-lut-ely delicious and satisfying end to all the calorie burning you just did! mmm… Dudleys.
Mick G.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
The Harvey Moore Trail is a wonderful day hike adventure! Be prepared for some various terrain and some difficult hiking, or running if you are a little more adventurous. I usually begin at the trail head by the Sweetwater River Bridge on Hwy 79. From this lot(no charge to park here), I usually head south on the trail, which begins with some rather serious ascents. At the top of the first climb you move in some mildly forested areas. Overall the area was damaged tremendously in the 2003 fire storm, and it is wonderful to see the recovery process in full swing with the strong presence of Manzanita, and many Pine and Oak saplings. It is about 5 miles or so to the Trail Camp Site which is a nice refuge on the trail. They sometimes have water in the well even. From here, the hike makes a steep descent down into a creek bed, which actually flows much of the year. The descent trail is not well maintained and slightly overgrown at the moment due to the fires, but it is navicable, so trust yourself and enjoy the climb down. Once at the bottom, the trail meanders next to the stream until it hits the gigantic meadows around the Sweetwater River near the 6th Grade Camp and Park HQ(Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which the trail is a part of). The entire hike is a loop, which is nice, and measures a good 12 miles or so. The going can be slow in some places, so plan on this taking a while. It is fantastic, and on clear days you can even see Downtown San Diego and Point Loma from the high meadow. Georgeous. Hike here.
