The unpaved road to Palomar Mountain High Point Lookout
Palomar Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.874m (6,148ft) above the sea level, located in northern San Diego County, California, United States.
Located in the Peninsular Ranges within the Cleveland National Forest, the road to the summit is unpaved. 4x4 vehicle required. The summit hosts a fire lookout built in 1935. The peak was once called Smith Mountain but reverted to its Mexican name, Palomar (meaning “place of the pigeons”), in 1901.
Starting from Oak Grove, the ascent is 12.71km (7.9 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1.022 meters. The average gradient is 8.04%. The summit offers stunning views all the way to the coast.
Pic: Scott Kennedy