Reviews

AW L

Palomar Mountain State Park It’s about an hour and twenty minutes from San Diego, and I was surprised to find such a beautiful mountain and hiking trails there. Since it’s autumn, there were lots of acorns scattered on the ground — be careful not to slip while walking! I went to see the lake, but it was more like a pond in size. The water was murky with some algae. However, the trail was nice and cool because of all the trees, and the park felt more like a national park than a state park. I also checked out the campgrounds — they were very clean, well maintained, and quite large, with two main areas. I definitely want to go camping there next time. Highly recommended!

Norm Hutton

Not a lot to do here besides camp - Doane Pond is so weed choked it can be a dishes in a couple very small condies areas. No water to cool off in.

Grant Osborne

I generally come here several times a year driving from North County. It's a great, secluded spot for those wanting to get to the mountains and see vegetation like that at Idyllwild or Big Bear Lake / Arrowhead but don't want to drive 2 or 3 hours to get there. The pictures I've used for this review are from my April 26th / 27th overnight camping trip when it was foggy/rainy. Not the best sleeping/camping experience in itself (not knowing how to hang up a tarp to be used a a rain guard while setting up a tent, Fry's Creek camp lot itself was on a bit of a slope, clothes were a bit damper than I thought etc.) but the actual hiking in Palomar itself during this time was a nice experience. Also felt like I was in Oregon/Washington at times for some reason, despite never being there. While venturing out here be mindful of several things to make your stay enjoyable: 1. Try not to tent camp during ANY chance of rain, even if it's only supposed to be less than a quarter inch - Unless you're already experienced in properly setting up a tent site when it's raining 2. Poor cell phone coverage in the general area. 3. Lack of eating options save for the one general store at the crossroads 4. Motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts love to drive up and down the S6 - South Grade Road. Be on the lookout when driving up and down from that road. 5. Hiking boots or hiking sticks are recommended as some of the trails can be quite steep, especially those near Doane Pond

Jim H

Great hiking at the park. Enjoyed the meadows and various trails. Some cool things to check out along the trails.

David Ayres

A quick escape from the hustle and bustle of the hustling bustle. Make this journey into the mountains and lose yourself in the nature the moment you enter. You never ever wanna let it go. Whether it's a trail run after work or a picnic with the crew, you can find something to do you.

Mamie Zembal

Finally made it here on a beautiful sunny cool day! At the entrance there is a self pay kiosk. We paid $10. Make sure you pay! They do have a ranger that tickets. It's a beautiful place well worth the cost. At the entrance I grabbed a hiking trails flyer since that is what I came to do. Several of them and nothing over 1.5 miles unless you want to connect other shorter trails. I did most of them except for a short spur one. It was amazing being in the deep forest, meandering through meadows, the historic Weir Lookout was peaceful and beautiful. After that caught the sunrise by the historic fire tower and lookout as the sun set over the ocean. It was wonderful! A great escape from the rat race. They also have a campground with showers I noted.

Samir Kambarov

One of the most beautiful trails I have ever hiked!

SlimmyGB

I went there for the bike ride and I was really impressed by the road and the views. The mountain run is twisty and technical and can be done in the uphill and downhill direction. My humble advice for you is not to get carried away because it’s not very forgiving. This is a highly recommended spot for a bike ride.

JitkaKac

We wanted to go to the Boucher Tower but the road was closed (Apr 12). There were also a lot of clouds in the area so we wouldn't probably see anything anyway.. So we hiked around the pond instead and spotted a couple squirrels & blackbirds there. The forest is beautiful! Day use fee is $10 for a car. Very friendly park rangers.