Del Dios Preserve

I have a love/​hate relationship with these trails! I’m kidding, but some of these hikes kick my rear! Seriously though, this area is gorgeous! There is a trail for everyone and all abilities. The lake views are stunning! It’s also a great area to bring your dogs for a hike! Enjoy… but watch out for snakes.

A nice place to get a good uphill workout for your legs! A pretty short trail to the top but if you want a long hike you can loop around to elfin forest and come back. but overall a chill hike. beginners might struggle going uphills since their pretty steep. but do your best n forget the rest!

Nice trails.

The Del Dios Preserve connects to other preserves and trails so you can make this a short hike or a long trek. This review is primarily on the Del Dios Highland section which is a 3.0 round trip trail from the parking area to the top of the mountain where you can connect to other trails or return. This is not a hike for the faint of heart it is 1.5 miles of up hill battle some areas are very steep, all are on a good wide dirt trail. If you only want a short trip take the trail for about ¼ mile and then take a left to the end of the point. Great boulders to sit and have a picnic and over looks the lake. If you are more adventurous continue to the top. Thank the eagle scout who put the bench in about ½ way.
There is no water on the trail so take plenty in the summer this is a very, very hot area with little or no shade. When you get to the top, on a good day you can see the ocean and all the way up to the mountains past L.A. and you can see Lake Hodges to your east.
The hike down is exactly that downhill, watch your footing on the steepest slopes as the dg is loose.
I would recommend this hike in the early morning, would make a great sunrise or late afternoon, you can get awesome sunsets.