San Marcos' Little Mt Whitney

The skyline of San Marcos, CA is dominated by the Cerro de las Posas mountain range of which Mt Whitney (1729 ft) is its tallest prominence. Unlike many other prominent hills around town, there are several paved ways to the top of Mt Whitney, though some are less accessible than others. Choosing your way up, however, is an exercise in poison picking. Mt Whitney charges high metabolic price for the view she gives from the top.

Starting from the NE end of the range, the major route up Mt Whitney is on the back side of California State University - San Marcos (CSSM) via La Moree, Coronado Hills Dr, and Washingtonia Dr. The climbing begins a block or so south Coronado Hills Rd at the junction with Via del Campo. From bottom to top is 2 miles long at 8.3% average grade. The first 0.6 mile on Coronado Hills Dr is the most brutal, however, with an opening kick at 17% grade before dropping off to a near constant 15% for half a mile to the Washingtonia Dr turn off. Washingtonia is a bit of a roller until the private drive car gate (hikers and bicycles can go around), after which it only goes up and up all the way to the top. Don't begrudge the car gate at the last level off (Vallecitos Water District overlook) that you have to dismount and hike a bike thru. It's the only 'resting' spot before the sustained 14% grade for 1/4 mile to the tower. Also, remember this gate on your descent... and make sure you can stop the bike without crashing onto it!

Coronado Hills Dr

If you don't mind roughing it for a hard dirt stretch, another legit way up little Mt Whitney is to go up either San Elijo Rd or S Twin Oaks Valley Rd to the Ridgeline Trailhead staging area traffic light at Double Peak Elementary School. Go thru the school parking lot to pick up the dirt bit of Attebury Rd and continue on it to Washingtonia Dr. I prefer coming at it from San Elijo Rd rather than S Twin Oaks because you get more elevation gain from the south side, and you don't have to beg for green light to cross the road to get to Double Peak School. This is the first climb on this video:


(Video is of the Mt Whitney bit on my usual Friday morning assaults on Mt Whitney and her next door neighbor, Double Peak).

Aside from these two fairly open-access routes, there are a couple more private and steep ones whose accessibility can vary a bit from time to time (sometimes bikes and hikers are quite welcome on them, sometimes not so much). The Bela Vita Way route to connect to Attebury Rd to Washingtonia is listed on the City of San Marcos trails project map, though currently it is still strictly private. At 1.8 miles and 9.3% average grade, this is the hardest way to the top on paper (though in practice I don't think it is).

Bela Vita Way is guarded by two gates; the bottom one at S Village Dr was recently extended to cut off the dirt trail access, and the top one in the middle of a 15% grade ramp was fortified a bit, so this way may not stay bike/hike-able for long. With all the gates and the lack of other houses except for the manor overlooking the winery, there is literally no car traffic on this lonely paved lane... except for the winery owner and his couple of neighbors. Here is a video I took a while back (before the gates were extended and fortified), descending from Mt Whitney tower to S Village Dr via Attebury Dr and Bela Vita Way.



The goriest route up to Mt Whitney, however, is from the even less accessible Crestwind Dr on the SE side by Harmony Grove Village. It is about 2.8 miles long at a deceptively mellow 8.3% average gradient. Make no mistake, though, the single digit average grade is due to the little downhill bits in the lower part of the climb. The long uphill bits from Bresa de Lomas on up are all in the teens, with maximum grade in the 20s on the concrete and paved portion of Crestwind Dr (how deep into the 20s depends a bit on how you take the curves, and whether you go up it in a straight line or not).

Bresa de Lomas opening ramp.

The steepie switchback at the bottom of Crestwind Dr.

This route requires strong bike handling skills as well as strong legs and lungs (and at least a 30 cog in your cassette). After the two-houses saddle atop the gory switchback bottom of Crestwind Dr, the road turns into a rutty and pebbly dirt lane with a little dip followed by a sustained 15% grade ramp that gets even steeper once it turns the corner and becomes a concrete wall. Get across that wall to the tarmac, and you still have two long curves of steepness with spots that ventures north of the 20% grade mark to cope with before you get to the houses and false flat where you can breathe a bit before turning steeply up again onto Washingtonia Dr.

Mt Whitney radio tower

No matter which way you choose, though, San Marcos' little Mt Whitney is a gem with its rustic rural and car-less neighborhoods compared to the more well known Double Peak on the other side of S Twin Oaks Valley/San Elijo Rd. Do beware of cracks and potholes, aside from suicidal squirrels and rabbits on your descent... and, please, pack out what you pack in. Be nice to everyone, ride carefully around blind curves, and leave no trace of you behind!