52 Peaks Challenge Additional Information

• Hike 52 Peak trails (at least 700 feet elevation gain) in either a 52 week-1 year time frame OR any time frame you choose! 

• Kathryn's original challenge time frame was July 30, 2021- July 29, 2022 BUT you can start your own personal challenge within the group by completing 52 peaks on your time.

• Kathryn's original challenge celebration will be in August 2022 to celebrate achievements/completion and award prizes  

  • San Diego Hiking Ladies will still award you with a custom 52 Peaks Lapel Pin for completing the 52 Peaks Challenge in the group (while supplies last)

  • All peaks are at your discretion; a list of suggested peaks and trails is provided in the next section below, but participants can choose any peak or trail that meets requirements.   

• Please research the hikes in detail before you go; the list has general info only and it’s up to you to make sure you are comfortable with the hike before you attempt it.  

 • A template is provided in the last section of this page to track and record your peak hikes and miles 

• Can repeat up to 10 peaks/trails in the challenge during the 52 weeks; only 10 TOTAL of the 50 peaks can be a repeat of something done before. So 40 of the peak hikes must be unique. You can do the same peak (not different trails to the same peak, the same peak counts as a duplicate) 10 times or 5 peaks 2x or whatever, but the same PEAK can only be repeated 10 times.  

• Can do the peaks in any order and in any timeframe (1 a week, 2 a week, 3 a week, etc) during the 52 weeks; for challenges after the original challenge, you set the timeframe.  

• If a peak is not on the list and is not identified as a mountain or peak on a trail website/book (Sierra Club, All Trails, SD County Hiking, Afoot and Afield in San Diego County, etc) the peak/trail must include AT LEAST 700 feet of elevation gain/loss  and 3+ miles to count in the challenge. The goal is to have the original trail meet these criteria, not to repeat a hill several times to make the elevation gain. All peaks accepted as qualifying are at the discretion of Kathryn R., challenge organizer or group owner, Michella

 • Take a photo of yourself on trail showing you did the hike, preferably at the summit (can be group photo), you don’t have to submit these photos unless requested. But you should have them!  

• Must submit list with dates of hikes/summit at the end of the challenge timeframe to be eligible for gift; can submit electronically to Kathryn if you are in her original group; no need to send info prior to end of challenge. You will need to be present to claim your gift, Kathryn will not be mailing the items. Can pick up at anytime (i.e. on a later hike) though. 

• At least half (26) of the peak hikes need to be done with the San Diego Ladies Hiking, Walking & More Group.

• The goal of the challenge is to discover new peaks and trails and TO HAVE FUN…whatever you can achieve is great. Not every hike is a peak hike and that’s OKAY! You also don’t have to join the challenge to do any of these hikes…it’s a personal challenge, not a race or competition.   

• Questions to Kathryn (Kathy) Ruiz by filling out the contact form below OR through the Meet up app direct message function. Please don’t ask specific challenge questions on the event comment pages themselves.       

Page numbers refer to descriptions in Afoot and Afield in San Diego, 5th edition; most hikes can also be found in AllTrails and other books/internet sites .

1. Cowles Mtn (Mission Trails Regional Park); all peaks in Mission Trails covered in pgs 151-167

2. Fortuna Mountain North (Mission Trails); pgs 151-167

3. Fortuna Mountain South (counts as separate peak, even if done together with north peak; Mission Trails); pg 151-167 

4. Kwaay Paay (Mission Trails); pg 151-167 

5. Pyles Peak (counts as separate peak, even if done on one hike with Cowles Mtn, Mission Trails); pg 151-167 

6. Viejas Mountain; pg 189

7. Garnet Peak; pg 290

8. Volcan Mountain: pg 257

9. Stanley Peak; pg 96

10. Bernardo Mountain; pg 99

11. Mother Miguel; pg 202

12. Oakzanita Peak; pg 276

13. Cuyamaca Peak; pg 268

14. Middle Peak, Cuyamaca Rancho Park; pg 266

15. Palomar Mountain: Observatory Trail to Boucher Hill (Point to Point); pg 221

16. Palomar Mountain: Boucher Hill-Thunder Spring Loop: not in book, on All Trails and other sites

17. Mount Woodson; pgs 114-117 (multiple trails)

18. Iron Mountain; pg 119

19. Mount Gower; pg 174

20. Morena Butte (from PCT); pg 318

21. Double Peak (San Marcos); pg 83

22. McGinty Mountain; pg 194

23. Black Mountain (Rancho Penasquitos); pgs 126-128 multiple trails

24. Stonewall Peak: pg 270

25. Mt. Nebo (Secret Stairs, La Mesa): not in book

26. Monument Peak (PCT, Desert View Picnic Area); pg 300

27. Corte Madera; pg 317

28. Laguna Mountain Summit-Sunset Trail; pg 297

29. Monserate Mountain; pg 74

30. Los Pinos Peak;  http://hikingsdcounty.com/los-pinos-peak/(can combo with Corte Madera on one hike and count as 2 separate peaks) 

31. Hot Springs Mountain; pgs 231-232

32. El Cajon Mountain; (half = 2000+ ft elevation gain/loss, if do full but go to both summits, El Cajon and El Capitan, can count as 2 peaks); pg 181 

33. Lawson Peak; pgs 312-313 (two separate peaks count if you add the Gaskill peak on the Lawson hike)

Not Peaks per se, but hike options that fit in the ‘peak’ guidelines:

1. Mount Laguna/Sunrise Overlook (PCT south from Kwaaymii point; 700 ft elevation gain/loss); not in book

2. Garnet Mountain PCT ridgeline (from KwaayMii Point north; separate from Garnet Peak, 700 foot gain/loss): not in book

3. Kitchen Creek Falls (900 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 304

4. Santa Ysabel Preserve Nature Center Trail, near Santa Ysabel Village (1200 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 242 (note that the Visitor’s center is new and not mentioned in book)

5. Upper Santa Ysabel Preserve, near Julian (1200+ ft elevation gain/loss, depending on route): pg 259 

6. Cedar Creek Falls (Thornbush road trailhead; 1,100 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 247

7. Montezuma Valley Road to Eagle Rock- PCT (1079 ft elevation gain/loss); not in book

8. Blue Sky Preserve to Ramona Dam (1236 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 113

9. Elfin Forest Reserve (1000+ ft elevation gain/loss, depending on trail); pg 85-87

10. El Monte Flume Trail (1000 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 169 (from El Monte Park) 

11. Ellie Lane Loop (1500 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 118

12. Kumeyaay Promentory/Stelter County Park (1000 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 179

13. OakOasis-2 loops: (800 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 177

14. Spring Canyon: Mission Trails (do not go onto private property) (700 ft elevation gain/loss); not in book

15. Hellhole Canyon County Preserve, Valley Center; pgs 97-98

16. William Heise Desert View and Canyon Oak loop Trail (944 ft elevation gain/loss); not in book    

17. Big Rock/Mesa Trail/Partial Cowles Mtn – from Santee (700 ft elevation gain/loss); not in book

18. Old Banner Toll Road-Julian (800 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 256

19. Kelly Ditch Trail; Julian (1000 ft elevation gain/loss); pg 263

20. Azalea Glenn Trail; Paso Picacho (700 ft elevation gain loss, counts as a peak trail though should be done separately from Cuyamaca Peak hike); pg 267

21. Sweetwater Summit-Sweetwater Trail (700 ft elevation gain); pg 199

22. Twin Peaks (from Silverset Park in Poway, must do longer loop to make eligible mileage and elevation gain), pg 109 

23. Boden Canyon https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/boden-canyon--2

24. Clevenger Canyon South https://modernhiker.com/hike/clevenger-canyon-south/, 1100 ft elevation gain

25. East Mesa Loop-Peak, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (1000+ ft elevation gain, peak off trail; pg 277

26. Eagle Peak/Three Sisters Falls (1000-2000ft elevation gain, depending on if you do both, can count as 2 peaks if you do both and wish to count both); pgs 250-252

27. Calcite Mine and Slot Trail, Anza Borrego Desert (800 ft gain/loss): pgs 367-369

28. Hellhole Canyon Trail to Maidenhair Falls, Anza Borrego Desert (1000 ft gain/loss); pgs 341-342

Click here for Tracker on Google Sheets