Located in the Ramona area, Eagle Peak Rd is one of the less well known but yet striking places. This trail offers magnificent views of several rivers, waterfalls, and lush green valleys.
Length: The entire length of the road/trail is over 15 miles long, but most people prefer to to park at the Cedar Creek Falls trailhead and walk the 2.7 miles to Cedar Creek Falls.
Time Required: The Cedar Creek
Falls portion of the trail takes most people between 1-1.5 hours one way and 3-5 hours round trip. Use your best judgement if you plan on doing the whole route round trip (over 30 miles).
Difficulty: Easy dirt roads, The trail between the Cedar Creek Falls trailhead and Cedar creek Falls is a well maintained wide trail. All other areas of Eagle Peak Rd are truck trails that are would be considered about 1-2 lanes wide.
Location:The location of the Cedar Creek Falls trailhead (where 99 percent of people start their trip): From the intersection of Julian Rd and Pine Hills Rd in the town of Julian, go 1.6 miles south on Pine Hills Rd. After the 1.6 miles, turn onto Eagle Peak Rd, which is on your right. After another 1.1 miles where Eagle Peak Rd merges into Quail Hollow Rd, turn left to stay on Eagle Peak Rd, then drive 7.6 miles to the trailhead. The road should soon turn to dirt. It will get increasingly steeper to drive on and could be muddy at times in the winter. After you park at the trailhead (you should see lots of cars there), there should be a kiosk where the road turns into a more narrow trail. This is the beginning of the Cedar Creek Falls portion.
If you want to do the entire route, start at the intersection of Julian and Pine Hills Rd and go the way described.
Route Description
The route is very simple. From the Cedar Creek Falls trailhead, keep following the trail downhill. When you reach the VERY BOTTOM of the valley, you should see a trail to your left. This is the entry trail to Cedar Creek Falls. If you want to keep going on Eagle peak Rd you will eventually reach El Capitan Reservoir.
Major Highlights (check out the photos page for pictures of these highlights)
Jurassic Point: This is a viewpoint into a 1,500 ft valley with a river cutting through it, and one of the most "grand" views in all of Southern California. It is very rarely photographed because of location. Best time to photograph this area is between 2 hours and 1 hour before sunset. Location: about 0.5 miles before the Cedar Creek trailhead, there should be a small dirt area on the side of the road facing the valley. Walk to the edge of the dirt area and enjoy the view.
the 0.5 Views: This is simply a name given to the area between Jurassic Point and the Cedar Creek Falls trailhead. There are numerous wildflowers blooming along this stretch of road in spring. Photograph the flowers while facing the valley for the best views. Best time to photograph this area is between 1hr and 2hrs after sunrise and 1hr and 2hrs before sunset.
Mildred Falls: At 200ft high, this is the second tallest waterfall in southern California. It is an elegant waterfall that plummets down a vertical rock face. It will flow just about all winter long and for most of fall and spring. It can be seen in between the CCF trailhead and about another half mile on the trail. Best time to photograph is between 1hr and 2hrs after sunrise and 1hr and 2hrs before sunset. Every day at about 1 hour before sunset, if you walk to just the right location on the trail, the water in the waterfall will turn a rainbow color.
Cedar Creek Falls: A 90ft waterfall easily accessed. Click here to read more in the Cedar Creek Falls article
Rattlesnakes: The valley surrounding Eagle Peak Rd is known for one of the most rattlesnake infested areas in San Diego. Rattlesnake season is between late April and early November, but dont be surprised is you see one on a December day when the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In rattlesnake season, you are just about guaranteed to see a snake on your trip, so be very careful. Garter snakes and grass snakes are also commonly seen.
Best Time of Year (Important for this location)
The only time you are guaranteed to get good photos of this location (on a sunny day) is between early March and late April. It may vary some years depending on rainfall levels. In this time of year, the grass covering the mountains and valleys turn pure green. In summer, fall, and winter, the grass dies and the brown dirt from the hills are exposed.
Photos
