Hiking Otay Mountain

Jamul, California

5.0/5

based on 2 reviews

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Distance

15.3 miles

Elevation Gain

2903 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Kat Carney

360 degree views of San Diego. Views of the San Diego skyline, the lights of Tijuana, and local mountains. Set up camp and watch the sunset over the ocean.

The trek begins on the Otay Mountain Truck Trail at Pio Pico Resort & Campground. You can either park and hike the entire trail, or drive up to a point a couple miles and park before the road becomes steep and rough. The distance on here is if you hiked the whole way. If you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle you can drive most of the way to the top of the mountain. We parked about 4 miles from the top and hoofed it the rest of the way.

Hiking is on the road and easy although steep at times. It can be very hot in this area so be sure to pack plenty of water, the best times are Nov-April to avoid the heat. I went through three liters of water in no time. We made it to the summit and hiked a mile down to set up camp on a ridge with views on both sides.

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Reviews

Colton Miller

Hiking Otay Mountain

02/04/19

Started this one a tad late in the afternoon - leaving San Diego city limits around 2:30 and arriving at Otay Truck Trail around 3:30. We drove a little ways up and pulled off 3.5 miles from the summit. We hiked from there and upon reaching the top were greeted with beautiful views of golden hills and mountains of the surrounding San Diego County. Hiked down as it got dark, but that isn’t a big deal if you bring a headlamp or other light source.

5.0

Grant

Hiking Otay Mountain

09/22/15

Couldn't believe how amazing this was

5.0

Kat Carney

Hiking Otay Mountain

10/28/14

Awesome Aaron! Border Patrol did ask us what the heck we were doing, so clearly there aren't many regular campers. But they were fine when we explained.

Aaron Veenstra

Hiking Otay Mountain

10/23/14

That's awesome that you got to camp up there. I've always talked about making it to the top of Otay Mountain and seeing this has re-sparked my interest. Thanks.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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Hiking Otay Mountain

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