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Palomar Mountain State Park
High elevation hiking with a world-renowned observatory.
Nestled in northern San Diego County, this state park offers hiking, wildlife-watching and more. The cider, pine and fir trees in the Palomar Mountain State Park provide a Sierra Nevada like atmosphere. Hike up to the Boucher Hill Summit.
It's one of the gems in the Sierra Club's "Hundred Peaks Section" and has stunning views. While at the peak, take photos of the historic Boucher Hill Fire Lookout.
Spend some time fishing for trout in Doane Pond and arrange a guided tour at the visitor's center. You can check out the gorgeous Southern California vistas with the ocean to the west and desert to the east. In the spring, the mountain meadows become a riot of colors to photograph.
This state park offers a few camping opportunities, including family and group sites. Along with picnic tables, the area provides RV acce
Nestled in northern San Diego County, this state park offers hiking, wildlife-watching and more. The cider, pine and fir trees in the Palomar Mountain State Park provide a Sierra Nevada like atmosphere. Hike up to the Boucher Hill Summit.
It's one of the gems in the Sierra Club's "Hundred Peaks Section" and has stunning views. While at the peak, take photos of the historic Boucher Hill Fire Lookout.
Spend some time fishing for trout in Doane Pond and arrange a guided tour at the visitor's center. You can check out the gorgeous Southern California vistas with the ocean to the west and desert to the east. In the spring, the mountain meadows become a riot of colors to photograph.
This state park offers a few camping opportunities, including family and group sites. Along with picnic tables, the area provides RV access. You can take advantage of the bathrooms that include showers to rinse off after a day of hiking.
Activities in the park
3 campgrounds in Palomar Mountain State Park
With 31 sites, Doane Valley Campground is a great escape in the Palomar Mountain area. Located in northern San Diego County, it's one of the few areas in SoCal with a Sierra Nevada-like vibe. One thing: some of the sites are known to be on a slight incline, so if you want to avoid that then look for the 1-8 loop. Cedar Grove Group Campground, Read more...
Located within earshot of the famous Palomar Observatory, this well-named campground offers visitors numerous camping outlets such as RV parking stations, well-defined tenting areas―and electric outlets themselves. And be sure to take the scenic two-plus mile hike to the California Institute of Technology's main attraction which the campground its Read more...
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