Pyles Peak Trail is a 5.3 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near San Diego, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from October until June. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
birding
hiking
nature trips
trail running
walking
views
wild flowers
over grown
Great trail for a quick hike and a great view of San Diego. Bring water, it’s hot.
My favorite of the 5 Peaks!
You can get solitude here even though it's next to one of the most popular hikes in SD. Lots of greenery that you feel like you're not in the neighborhood.
The two interesting things about this climb for me were the view of the city, and the interface of Park land with the surrounding development. I encountered a handful of mountain bikers which is fine, but one just needs to be aware they are coming pretty fast.
The last part is the best.
After passing Cowles Mountain I really enjoyed this hike!! Cowles is good and all but way too many people. The views are great and the trail is less busy. Probably ran into 2 other groups at the peak but only one other person on the trail. The last .25 miles of this trail was the most challenging, but it was a great climb! Will definitely do again.
Very busy and a lot of rock hopping
Amazing trail! Once you get passed the overcrowded cowels mountain trail, you pretty much have the whole trail to yourself. I barely ran into 4 people all together. Great inclines and declines. The last .25 mile to the peak is a nice challenge for any hiker. Absolutely loved this trail- definitely coming back!
5 Peak challenge completed
finished 5 peak challenge with this peak. to me it was the most diffucult
Disappointed at first because it was a Tuesday and surprisingly busy. The moment I hit the pyles peak trail I crossed paths with one person and had the rest to myself!!! I found my zen and was ready to head back. My Apple Watch gave me 6.15 miles
I got to Pyles Peak by taking a trail leading to Cowles. If it wasn't for the 5 peak challenge, I would have avoided Cowles all together because it is so crowded, even at 630am. Pyles Peak trail is so quiet and beautiful! The last stretch is a nice climb but well worth the view!! We ended up having the summit to ourselves and only passed a hand full of people along the trail. I plan on coming back but taking the backside trail that avoids Cowles. Not a ton of shade so arrive early.
Great Trail! Almost no people.
Good hike and away from the crowds at Cowles. Moderate hike and highly recommend. Just over 2 hours from start to finish.
Went on to Pyles Peak from Cowles and loved this section so much! I heard my first rattlesnakes!! It took me a second for it to sink in what I was hearing. Never saw them thank goodness they were off in the brush. Beautiful views and not many people along the trail. Easy to navigate.
Great hike to Pyles Peak even if it rains on you.
You have to go up
Cowles to make it to Pyles!!! 5hrs Hike
This was a great hike and nice way to add some more distance / challenge to Cowells Mountain. The Hardest part for me was the climb back to Cowells Mountain from Pyles Peak, it was right when my legs started to get really tired! Make sure to plan accordingly on a hot day this hike would be brutal. Well worth the views.
Nice hike, not to busy. Enjoyed it.
Great view. Nice extra after finishing cowels
Once you pass the traffic jam on Cowles Mountain, the trails is nice and peaceful. Great view from the peak.
Great trail! It only gets better after the first peak because not nearly as many people continue on past that.
J P.
Really great hike. A lot of shade when you go early. Some areas provide cool shades. Awesome view on top.
Gives a decent view of the city and not too bad if you are in shape. Good workout
30 mins up 30 mins down
Excellent trail! I hiked up Cowles Mountain and continued onto Pyles Peak just beyond the vista point. The summit was 1,379 ft. I continued north towards the community on Mission Gorge Road attempting the 5-Peak Shuttle, but fell short at the third peak, Kwaay Paay Summit--1,194 ft. I had begun at noon and the brush was very bad on the north side descending down to Mission Gorge Road causing me to run out of daylight after 5 1/2 hours. I hiked to Kwaay Paay Summit in the dark before heading out. I completed the hike to Pyles Peak summit in 2 1/2 hours.
It was a good trail
Kids, strollers, dogs, trail DJs, crowds. You basically hike up Cowles then continue to Pyles. It's mostly downhill after the Cowles summit and much quieter. The Pyles view point looks northeast, while the better scenery is southwest toward downtown. Keep on going to Pyles Peak, a little uphill from the view point. Sunset and a panoramic view from TJ to San Diego's beaches on a clear day
We went to cowles mountain and say the Pyle peak trail. went to the summit and back down to the start of cowles. almost 6 miles. good little burner for those that want extra
Went the long way, from Big Rock Park on the Santee side. This route brings you up the back side of the mountain, about 8 miles in total out-and-back. Definitely the way to go if you're looking for a challenge. I never much liked going up Cowles on the obvious south approach because of the pedestrian atmosphere and not challenging enough, but this route is a whole different experience. It's definitely the road less traveled, and it's enjoyably savage. After reaching Pyles summit, you head back up to Cowles summit on your way back, where you'll log in another decent bout of elevation gain. A good training exercise to prepare you for the up-down-up-down brutality of nearby El Cajon Mountain. About 3.5 hours in total, and I'd recommend 2 liters of water on a 75F degree day.
Easy trail to the summit until the last .25 mile. Went on a Thursday afternoon and only crossed paths with 5 other hikers. Watch for snakes.