Take a Hike in Simon Preserve

Simon Preserve is a 647-acre park east of town that is one of San Diego County's high traffic wildlife corridors. It's 4.5 miles from downtown Ramona, off San Vicente Road.

The preserve is a series of rolling hills with a major ridge down the middle, north-to-south. The east side is a series of arroyos and a flat field.

This park has coyotes, horned toads, tarantulas and roadrunners to name a few. There are always hawks flying around and lots of birds. Spring through fall you can hear the field drone with the humming of bees visiting wildflowers. Walking through the park will almost always show some flowers. Spring is one of the best times to hike. The flowers bloom in waves lasting from early March to late June. In the winter, you can occasionally see snow on Mount Cuyamaca and Mount Palomar or the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

This Simon Peak ridge is a granitic base with a cobblestone cover. The rounded cobble stones are from the ancient Ballena River. This river flowed from the northeast to the southwest and can be easily identified from the top of the ridge running parallel to Swartz Creek to San Vicente Creek. Mount Gower to the east is a typical granitic pluton typical of the peaks all around us.

The main trail is an SDG&E easement that crosses the lower plain south to the north exit at Vista Ramona. There is an east branch midway through that enters the Estates trail system. Farther up across Vista Ramona Road, it intersects with the Rutherford Trail to Swatrz Canyon Park. The trail also splits midway to head west up the ridge side to the ridge crest. It follows the power poles to the top. As the ridge is crested, there is a trail south to north along the apex of the ridge.

Ramona peak is on the way to the water tower about another three-quarters mile up the ridge. The water tower is about another quarter mile farther. The road continues north to Woodshole Lane as you go past the water tower. This is a private road and is not open to the public.

Ramona Peak is marked at 2,140 feet. The view sweeps almost all of Ramona town and the Estates and much of the surrounding hills and mountains. There is a trail west of the water tower that loops west, then south to the west ridge of the park. It crosses two historical olive groves struggling to reconstitute after the Cedar Fire. The trail continues south to the grapefruit and avocado groves at the ranch south of Simon Park.

The SDG&E easement road ends at a private drive at the end of Creelman Road. There is no public access here at present. There is no west into Ramona or south park access, so you will have to return east. You can then cross the ridges on the access road between and back down to the Estates.

If You Go

Trailhead: 4.5 miles from downtown Ramona. San Vicente Road to a left on Arena, left on Spangler Peak, then a right on Bassett Street.

Length of trail: 4.5 miles round trip to peak

Elevation: 2140 feet    

Elevation increase: 800 feet

Difficulty level: Moderate to steep cobblestone in one place. Trail is hot in summer, so plan morning hikes then.

Parking: The county does not have a designated parking area, except the distant Swartz Canyon Park lot that is three miles east. The park guide online recommends parking on Bassett Road in the Estates in the common area by the creek bed. Do not park on the north end of the park at Vista Ramona Road. The traffic there is unsafe for parking.

Restrooms: There are no facilities on this site.

GPS: Ramona Peak @ Latitude 33.024803 Longitude: -116.828197