High Point via Oak Grove Trail
13.2 mi
Distance
6 hrs 20 min
Time
terrain
3,373 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult out and back trail to High Point in Cleveland National Forest.
This trail goes by High Point Lookout, Oak Grove Campground, and Registration.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Excellent challenging hike. Very steep 1st 2 miles of the hike and remaining 4.5 is on a fire road. Beautiful view at the top looking over Palomar observatory. Spring time has lots of flowers. Careful as it warms as the trail can be a spot for sun bathing snakes. Encourage strongly to bring at least 3 liters water and also a big net for your face. Lots of gnats
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Due to COVID-19, this trip got delayed for a couple of months, but I still wanted to get it in. Note to self: don't do this type of trip this late in the season. It was brutally hot--85 degrees at the trailhead at 9AM, and the bugs were atrocious. The biting flies were swarming me most of the hike, and as I got closer to High Point, the gnats were constantly swarming around my face. The flies were so bad, at the tower, that the ranger came out to greet me when I arrived, but even he couldn't stand to be outside of the glassed in booth for long. There were beautiful wildflowers blooming all along the trail, and the view of Palomar observatory was really cool. I'm sure this would have been a fantastic hike a couple of months ago, but I would never attempt it at this time of year again. Oh, by the way, the temperature at the trailhead, when I returned to base, was 95 degrees. Ouch!
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