Palomar Mountain

Nate Harrison grade looks to have been regraded recently as of this post however if you are going to try driving up in a low clearance vehicle, bear in mind that the road gets pretty chunky after the serenity ranch. I don't think four-wheel drive is required for this particular way up but the views are nice.

Just over an hour's drive, from Oceanside, CA, Palomar Mountain has lots to offer. As you climb the snaky switchbacks of South Grade Road, you'll notice the small bushes alongside this 2 lane roadway give way to many short & sturdy Oak trees.

South Grade Road, or S6, directly off Highway 76, is a tough challenge for bicyclists, & a fun ride for the many motorcyclists I see, negotiating the 21 hairpin turns here.

In the winter months, depending on how cold the storms are, you're likely to find snow alongside this road, at 3,000 feet, or even lower. In one particularly cold storm, in March, 2023, snow levels dropped below 1,500 feet. They do a nice job of keeping the road plowed, but at times, it'll be closed, except for vehicles with chains, or closed altogether, for brief periods of time.

The views get better as you climb in elevation, so be sure & take advantage of the multiple turnouts you'll notice, on the downhill side. On clear days here, you can easily see the sparkling Pacific Ocean, off in the distance.

Spring-time wildflowers midway up the mountain are so pretty to view, against the tall green grasses, on the hillside, just off the road.
You may just see some noisy Acorn Woodpeckers, too, gathering acorns from these trees.

At the higher elevations on the mountain, you'll enter a thriving Alpine climate, where you'll find White Fir, Bigcone, Douglas Fir, Black Oak, Canyon Live Oak, Coast Live Oak, Incense Cedar & Ponderosa Pine trees. There's a vibrant eco-system up here, where animal & bird species are plentiful. I've seen lots of squirrels, several deer, 20 wild turkeys, including a male, with an impressive fan of tail feathers. Other bird species I've seen include, lots of Acorn Woodpeckers, many noisy California Scrub Jays, as well as Stellar Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Ravens, Red-Tailed Hawks, Dark-Eyed Juncos, several different duck species, & Canadian Geese. There are also predatory animals up here, which are harder to spot, like bobcats, coyotes, & mountain lions. In the Spring months I've seen colorful California Sister Butterflies, flitting playfully about, up here.

It's free to tour Palomar Mountain Observatory, however all tours & science experiments were closed, on 3/21/23, due to severe snowfall in the area. Call ahead to see if it's open in the winter months. At the elevation of 6,142 feet, this location is prone to lots of snow in the winter months. This observatory is owned & operated by Caltech, FYI.

Alongside the intersection of South Grade Road & State Park Road, you'll notice the muted yellow & white Palomar Mountain General Store, where you can stock up on munchies, or camping supplies, before you head up to Palomar Mountain State Park.

Palomar Mountain State Park, which you'll get to, by transitioning onto State Park Road, from South Grade Road, is one of my favorite places to enjoy natural beauty. There's a Ranger Station at the entrance to the park here, where you'll pay a $10 Day Use Fee. If this small building is unoccupied, there are envelopes & a deposit station, right outside, to Self Pay at. Palomar Mountain State Park is a beautifully preserved nature area, on Palomar Mountain. My favorite area here, is the short trail that circles the mountain side of Doan Pond, & then connects to the Thunder Spring Trail. The many pine & cedar trees that grow on the mountain-side, shade this trail, making it a nicer hike on warm days, plus you're treated by creek views below, pretty Doan Meadow views in the distance & with this shade, you'll notice many lime-green ferns growing, alongside the trail. There are also beautiful campgrounds within the park, that are available, as soon as the weather turns warmer, on the mountain.

Rode here on a gran fondo bike ride. Nice views plenty of switchbacks and turns. Crazy elevation and a nice rest stop for when you get to the top. The descent is fun and watch out for the cattle grates in the ground though.