Battle Mountain

My little hiking phase brought me to this mountain. I always see this mountain right off the 15 with the cross on top in RB. I thought it’s a good way to conquer my fear of hills since I read the reviews and it takes about 20 minutes to get to the top. I thought piece of cake! I can do this…
When I stood at the bottom and looked at the top I thought maybe I should just turn around. I usually have a hard time breathing when it comes to hills but I need to practice. I am glad I did it. I got to the top in 15 minutes! A few times I was scared because I looked behind me to see how far I went up. Man it’s a long way down. The incline was steep but manageable. It was very rocky and the trail is eroded so watch your step. I was always scared I was going to slip and fall because I have horrible balance but I made it up!
The view at the top is phenomenal and well worth it. You can see everything at the top. I always love seeing the view of lake hodges. So beautiful.
I had to think about getting down after I enjoyed the view at the top. I swear it took me way longer to get down. It took me 25 minutes just to get down. My fear of sliding down the mountain made me take my time. I took the tiniest steps. I fall when the road is flat and I have the scars to prove it so me falling down may have happened so I had to take my time and watch my step.
This is a great hike with a great view. If you want a quick hike then this is the one for you.

Battle Mountain is a short strenuous little hike that ends with a beautiful panoramic view of San Diego’s north county. It’s a rutted route but there are views all the way up. Nothing really special about the hike, but you should do it at least once if you’re in the area.

For a serious hiker, Battle Mountain is more of a molehill than a mountain. But, there is plenty of good stuff for everyone else. First off, it’s not a long hike. Maybe 20 minutes up and 10 down. The path is mostly eroded and there’s a bunch of rubble at the top of the trail. If you have knee or foot issues this isn’t your hike.
I would say that this is a very good hike for kids. My 6 y/​o daughter hiked to the top with me and she was fine. Some hand holding on the way down.
What’s really cool about brining your kids is that they’ll always see this mountain along the 15 and know they were about climb it. Hopefully this gives them confidence for other things.
— The entry to this trail is weird. It’s right next to someone’s house. In fact, you might miss it if you don’t look hard enough.

Yes, this is a very short hike, taking about 15 – 20 minutes, but it’s still a lovely piece of San Diego that you really should trek up too! You still need to be in some sort of shape to make the short climb and it’s straight up. Watch out for rattlers and wear good walking shoes! Beautiful views…

The 1 star corresponds to the difficulty (or lack there of) this hike has to offer and nothing more. Nice view of the surrounding neighborhoods, highway 15 and the local mountain ranges to the East (Mt. Woodson, Iron Mt, etc…) and Mule Hill just adjacent to to The Cross. As the trek to summit is short, take the time to venture over to Mule Hill, as it will make for a longer hike.

Battle mountain in Rancho Bernardo is of very access from the street perpendicular to Espola Rd, close to Pomerado Rd. There are stairs to start the path to the top, and you can reach the cross in less than half an hour (just watch out those rattlesnakes!). It is a very popular spot for young people in the area as it provides the needed intimacy in certain moments (that as reported by my Russian friend who lives just a the bottom of the mountain and sees frequent episodes of PDA). It is a very popular spot to watch the 4^th of July fireworks of Rancho Bernardo area. Also, beware of the coyotes at night. They will eat your dog in less that you think. Ask the Russians… scary! I would not recommend this at night, but definitively it gives a nice panorama of Lake Hodges and it is an easy way up.