Pyles Peak Trail is a 6 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
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.
My favorite trail in the area. Great views and a good workout.