Volcan Mountain is a Wine Country Classic

Hiking up Volcan Mountain rewards you with beautiful views of pristine wilderness, surrounded by charming farmscapes, amid the rolling hills of San Diego’s wine country. Reaching the peak is a somewhat challenging workout. You can take Volcan Mountain Trail all the way or take the Five Oaks Trail, which eventually joins Volcan Mountain Trail, on to the peak.

Bernardo Mountain and Piedra Pintadas Trail at Lake Hodges

The trailhead for Bernardo Mountain is in San Dieguito River Park, by Lake Hodges. It's a 3-4 hour hike, and about 6 miles.

Iron Mountain in Poway, CA Elevation 2681

I set out on the 6 mile trail to Iron Mountain (Elevation 2684), leaving from the trailhead around 9am. This is "Little" Iron Mountain, not Big Iron, the one with 7000 feet of gain in the Angeles Forest. This hike has far less gain, but is definitely challenging.