San Marcos Mountain Tower

There are a few distinctive local hills in San Diego's North County between the Pacific Coast and I-15, and north of the San Dieguito River (Lake Hodges and on west to San Dieguito Lagoon) that are dead useful for orientation purpose whenever you get turned around on a bike ride and can no longer tell where you are and where you are headed. One of these striking looking hills that look different from different angles is San Marcos Mountain, particularly if seen from Vista proper (from WSW looking ENE at the mountain), with the steep zigzag of the very private Catalina Ave etched to its western face. 

The tantalizing Catalina Ave is, however, private and tripple-gated so tightly that even an amoeba would find it hard to squeeze through. The only viable route up to the San Marcos Mtn tower is the southern assault up Hardell Ln from Buena Creek Rd. 

Hardell Ln branches into three after the last house. Take the middle branch.

Past the gate, be sure to stay either on the road or on the trail to the right of it. 

I used to range into the Hollyberry neighborhood via a dirt trail approach from the south, over the Santa Fe Hills (from Borden Rd & Las Posas Rd) for a car-less gravel-bike-friendly ride with good deer and coyote sighting opportunities. A new subdivision is being constructed there, however, and the trail is currently fenced off.... hopefully just temporarily. (I have hope.. since this is in the City of San Marcos, and San Marcos has been pretty consistently awesome about putting in hike/bike-able trails whenever they build a new subdivision. If only I could convince the mayor of San Marcos to come and mayor next door Vista as well). 

There are almost always a few locals out walking the lanes in the Hollyberry neighborhood, and they are always a joy to stop and fraternize with. People are so much friendlier on foot and on bike than they are in a car. We are all going to get somewhere, and we are going to actually enjoy the process of getting somewhere... together!

 

Stay right at the Y-junction and head up the mountain.

 

Anyhow, going on past the car gate, there is a short firm dirt section before the tarmac returns as the lane meanders up to the saddle of the San Marcos Mountain. The area to the left of the road is strictly private. To the right a single-track trail runs along with the road for a while before veering off to take a more bushy way up to the radio tower complex (hiking boots- and full-suspension mountain bikes- friendly. Gravel bike... not so much). 

 

The big gate at the saddle with a narrow opening on the right side.

At the saddle, the fence gate to the tower complex is usually closed, but there is a narrow opening on the right for hikers to squeeze thru. If the gate is open when you head up, be sure to assume that it had closed when you head back down... and ride at a speed that would allow you to safely stop! 

This is an out-and-back ride, so be sure to scout the downhill conditions while you're going up. 

After the gate, the road climbs at around 6% toward the tower and then makes a sharp left with a gradient hike to around 8-12% and doesn't let up until after the next right curve. The view is pretty fantastic. 

Approaching the KGMG-FM Oceanside radio towers, with 360 view of San Diego's North County. It is amazing how analgesic the wide open vista is. 

There is a use trail to the proper summit block where the American flag is, but the actual benchmark is on the top of the rock cropping, and you'd have to do some bouldering to acquire the actual summit. It's worth hiking a bit onto the narrow ridge to have a look around. For all the energy you spent and all the suffering you endured to get up to the hard earned view, you might as well take the time to enjoy the reward. That... is my excuse for loitering, and I'm sticking with it.

Here are some views from the various side streets around the southern shoulder of San Marcos Mountain.

And a few video from the steepie-rich neighborhood. 

Camino de las Lomas.

El Paso Alto down to Hardell Ln. 

Hardell Ln to the radio tower complex.

This is San Diego's North County, my friends. No climb, no view!