Location: San Diego County, about 17 miles east-southeast of Julian, 156 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: San Diego County

Forest Service: Cleveland National Forest

USGS Topo: Whale Peak 7½

HPS (updated): National Geographic Topo!

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

Distance: 9 miles round trip on road cross-country (from 2WD parking)

Gain: 2100'

Time: 5-6 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, moderate

Navigation: Difficult

Original: Henry Heusinkveld, October 1969

DRIVING ROUTE 2

• Take I-15 south to Temecula.
• Go southeast on SR 79 to Warner Springs.
• Continue 3 miles on SR 79 to the intersection with S2 on the left. Turn left.
• Go southeast on S2 about 17 miles to SR 78 (Scissors Crossing).
• Jog 1/3 mile west on SR 78 (right) and continue on S2 for 4.4 miles to the State Park boundary. Turn left on Pinyon Mountain Road (dirt).
• Note your odometer and go as follows:
• Keep right at an immediate fork.
• At 3.8 miles, large rocks in the road. This will be a problem for most vehicles. Vehicles other than high clearance 4WD may high center on rocks.
• At 4.3 miles, fork. Keep right. Just past this spot is a fork to the right and a flat area suitable for camping. Continue straight at this fork.
• At 5.7 miles, a fork. Turn right.
• At 6.0 miles, a parking area at the end of the road. Park here 4120').

HIKING ROUTE 2

• From the parking area (3500') hike on the road described in the driving directions to the 4WD parking area.
• Hike south up a short canyon to a large level area.
• Cross this area in a southeast direction toward the visible ridge.
• A ducked route on this ridge goes up to the left around its east end to another flat area.
• Head south across this and follow the occasionally ducked route up and around the ridges on the left to 4640', the head of Smugglers Canyon, which drops off to the right.
• Follow the ducks south up the side of the ridge ahead to about 4800'. Then change direction to southeast and enter a little grassy valley that runs parallel to the Whale Peak ridge. There is a sandy path leading across it directly eastwards to a point just below the west-northwest side of the peak.
• Climb up the slope to the saddle due west of the peak at 5150'. From here go east up to the summit plateau and then to the summit boulder at the east end of the plateau. The sign-in register is often located inside a rock shelter at the base of the summit boulder.
• The use trail is difficult to follow in places. There are many ducked routes that apparently go nowhere.