Location: San Diego County, 13 miles southeast of Temecula, 112 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: San Diego County

Forest Service: Cleveland National Forest

USGS Topo: Vail Lake 7½, Boucher Hill 7½, Aguanga 7½

HPS (updated): National Geographic Topo!

HPS (old version): Route(s), waypoints and explanation of usage

Distance: 18 miles round trip on trail, road, and cross-country

Gain: 4200' total, 2700' out plus 1500' on return

Time: 9-10 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, strenuous

Navigation: Intermediate

Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions

Original: Alan Coles, 1986

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Take I-15 south to Temecula.
• Take the South SR 79 exit. This is the second of two SR 79 exits. It says 79 South. Please make sure you have enough gas. There are plenty of gas stations along SR 79 for the 2 miles or so.
• Continue south on SR 79 to Aguanga (junction with SR 371). This is about 18.2 miles east of Temecula.
• Continue southeast on SR 79 for 0.4 mile to Palomar Divide Truck Trail on the right. There is now a sign that says Rancho California RV Resort. The road is labeled 8S05. Turn right on to this road. Note your odometer and go as follows:
• At 0.4 mile, fork with a dirt road (Palomar Divide Truck Trail). Go left.
• At 3.1 miles, seasonal gate.
• At 5.4 miles, saddle with parking space for several cars and the (signed) Cutca Valley trailhead. Park here.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• From the parking area (3794'), hike about 0.6 mile down the Cutca Valley Trail (1E01) into Cottonwood Canyon. Cross a stream.
• About a mile from the trailhead, the trail reaches a small saddle and becomes a road. The road continues across Section 16 and into the southern part of Section 17, staying between 3400' and 3600'. It joins the Cutca Truck Trail at the boundary of Section 17 at a sign "Cutca Truck Trail" and "2.3 Section 16". (This is about 2 hours at a moderate pace from the parking area).
• Turn right (north) on the road, cross a stream after about 50 meters, then continue about a mile, where there is a sign "Trail" on the left. The trail is shown on the topo.
• Turn left and follow this trail up a canyon and into the Aqua Tibia Wilderness, past a saddle at 4200', and to a junction with the Palomar Divide Truck Trail (2W01) at 4720'.
• Turn right (west) and follow the road about 100 meters to an obvious gully on the left.
• The gully may have a duck; if not, please place one. Leave the road here and go up the gully staying in trees to the left as much as possible to avoid brush. Continue up to where the gully divides, and take the right (west) fork or the center ridge staying above and close to the right fork, finding the most open path possible, to the top of the ridge where a long clearing (old firebreak) through manzanita leads to a saddle, then work your way through thick manzanita to the summit. The register can is located on the rocks just south of the high point.
• Note: Eagle Crag is not the highest point on the ridge.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

The gate at 3.1 miles from SR 79 is a "red gate", meaning that it is open except for major problems such as a washout. For information about this gate, contact the Forest Service Station at Oak Grove at: (951) 767-9144.

Driving this road is not advisable when wet, due to the adobe surface, which turns to a slippery quagmire, together with the slope of the roadbed toward the canyon.

Seasonal tick blooms have been observed on Route 1. Light-colored clothing and frequent inspections are recommended.