Garnet's Grand Vista

Hike to Garnet Peak Outside of Julian in San Diego County

On your next trip to beautiful Julian, get out of town! But only for a day trip to the Laguna Mountains. Located just a few miles east, this area has some of San Diego’s best hiking trails, including two short hikes with perhaps the best vistas in the entire county: the 2.4-mile trek to Garnet Peak and the 1.6-mile out-and-back on the PCT from Kwaaymii Point. (Check the forecast before going because excessive heat and hot days make it too dangerous to hike, even if the hikes are short.)

Park in the tiny dirt lot off the side of the highway and find the trail heading northeast through a narrow opening in the barrier. The hulking 5,900-foot summit of Garnet Peak rises in the distance, but the rocky trail starts out flat as it meanders through often overgrown shrubbery. (In spring and early summer it’s a fantastical sight—incredible dense patches of purple lupines frame the trail.) After 0.6 mile, the rocky ascent begins at a four-way trail junction. Head straight and keep going up. You’ll net a little more than 500 feet over the next 0.6 mile, with views of the rolling hills to the south and the surrounding Lagunas.

The trail becomes a bit technical at the top, so watch your footing as you climb up to the summit. Find a boulder to perch upon but hold onto your hat: It gets really windy up here! The vistas are amazing, with the surrounding forest, the ocean (on clear days) and—most dramatically—the expansive Anza-Borrego desert to the east. It’s a breathtaking sight, and that’s not just because of the altitude. 

Head down the same way you came, being careful on the initial tricky descent. On your drive back to Julian, don’t miss the Kwaaymii Point Trail, a portion on the PCT that sits a bit north of Garnet Peak’s trailhead. This easy 1.6-mile out-and-back offers constant epic panoramas of the desert and is a less windy spot for a picnic. Now that’s viewtiful!

BONUS: If you want to explore more of the Lagunas, the visitor center is a great place to start. It’s also a great place for a post-hike meal—the Outpost by Valley Farm is just across the street and serves up delicious bbq and beer (is there a better post-mountain-hiking meal?). Get the ribs and some fixin’s or, if you’re with a group, try the sampler platter to taste all their meats.

IMPORTANT: Check temperatures before hiking these or any trails. Excessive heat makes hiking very dangerous and both people and their dogs should not be hiking on hot days. To get to the Garnet Peak trailhead, take the CA-79 16 miles southeast from Julian (Kwaaymii Point is 2.5 miles north of Garnet Peak). The Outpost and visitor center is an additional 4.6 miles southeast on the CA-79. You will need an Adventure Pass. Dog-friendly!

Story and photos by Matt Pawlik, @mattitudehikes

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View
  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View