Volcan Mountain Preserve

Great hike!!! The trail is well looked after-​we met a lovely local guy who helps maintain the trails. There’s a separate Five Oaks trail that leads off the main trail-​we did this on the way down which was perfect. You can bring dogs too! We did approx 6 miles round trip-​went to the top of the summit. There’s a chance to go even further to the half summit too.

— Very PRIVATE hike. Saw only one hiker during the 4.5 mile trek. If I recall, it was around 2 to the end (top of hill) and around 2 going back.
–Not the hilliest hike that I have been to (Hilly: ¹⁄₅). Not challenging at all (Challenge: ¹⁄₅), but very scenic and relaxing. Plenty of shade too.
–Many side routes that you can take instead of the main road. I would suggest taking the side roads because they are more naturalistic.
–Friendly rangers drive back and forth to check.

Very nice place. Hiked it today. Branched off to the five oaks trail and made it all the way to midsummit. I’d rate it like a 5−6÷10 difficulty. Beautiful, quiet, great views and lots of native plants/​birds. Will definitely be back.

A fun hike on a cool day. I’m sure it’s also beautiful in the spring. I would hate to do this hike in the summer, as it isn’t very shaded. We chose to veer off the main path and take the Five Oaks trail on the way up. It was a beautiful hike and was definitely a more intimate experience than the main trail. We took the main trail on the way back down from the summit. Took us about 2 — 2 ½ hours at a leisurley pace.
Lots of dog poop on this trail, though. Please clean up after your dog! I know this is the wilderness, but you can still have some decency when your dog decides to go right in the middle of the trail!

Great hiking path with awesome views. BRING BUG SPRAY. Maybe bring a face mask. The flies were horrendous.

I really enjoyed this hike aside from the incessant bugs in my face. The entire way up is on an incline… Of course … But I felt like every time I wanted to take a breath I was gonna swallow a bug or two. So maybe I suggest maybe some repellant or something. Other than that a great hike with awesome views, and go have lunch in town too, such a nice area.

My husband and I hiked this trail yesterday and the views were amazing! Because it has been in the 90’s in Julian, we hit the trail around 7:30 AM. We started up the Volcan Mountain Preserve hike and then branched off on the Five Oaks Trail which is only for hikers (not mountain bikers like the main trail). The Five Oaks Trail was mostly a gradual climb with some steep parts and narrow at some points. There is poison oak that you need to watch out for and we did come across a non-​poisonous snake sunbathing across the narrow trail! It didn’t care about us and just lay there as we had to step over it! The snake didn’t move until a couple with their dog stepped over it and one of the dogs paws hit the snake! The summit also had amazing views and there was a beautiful bench that was placed in memory of someone, at the top with the view that overlooked the town of Julian. Coming down from the summit was tough on our knees as it is a pretty steep decline at parts of the main trail. It was a little more than 5 miles round trip with the path that we hiked and all in all, it was a great hike! I would categorize this as a moderate to strenuous round trip hike.

A tough hike on the way up, but a breeze on the way down.
If you hike Volcan Mountain on a clear day, when you get to the summit you can see from the Pacific Ocean to the Salton Sea. When I’ve gone, it’s not a very crowded hike, passing maybe a dozen people over the 3 miles up and back.
If you take the 5 Oaks Trail, there are little signs describing the flora along the way. This was pretty neat until we got to the Poison Oak sign, which might as well say, if you’re reading this, you’re probably standing in Poison Oak.
It makes for a very nice morning hike before hitting the wineries of Julian.

Hiked Saturday 8÷1÷2015
Mileage: 5.5 miles
My best friend has been wanting to take me to Volcan to hike, and this past weekend we finally went! There are pros and cons to this place. Mostly pros. We left from Carlsbad around 7:30 am and it took us an hour and a half to get out there.
Parking: free, you just park along Farmers Rd
Trail head: well marked. There’s two Volcan Mountain signs, one right next to the road and another further up the trail. The trail is well maintained. We took the main trail up and looped back on the 5 Oaks Trail. There were a ton of bugs in our face! We saw some people walk by with a bug net over their hats, I was so jealous I wish I had one! The man was like «$ 5.00 at Big 5!». Pretty trail considering you’re still in San Diego County. Julian itself is a pretty lil city. The hike is pretty much all up hill. There’s no real flat spot, you just keep going up till you get to the top where there’s a bench. There’s 2 benches, one next to a tower under a big tree, its shaded, and the other if you follow a lil trail across from the bench next to the tower, you will find a log bench with a good view of Julian.
I’ve done a lot of hikes, and this one was not my favorite. There was no grand finale and it was kinda far to drive to. But we did a lot after our hike like grab a tasting at Julian Hard Cider and a slice of apple pie from Julian Pie Company. So it was a fun day trip.

Went on a rainy day in the morning and loved it! Initially hard to find because there are two Farmer’s Rds, make sure to take the second left on Farmers if you’re
coming from the West. It’s the road that DOESN’T have the wineries. We were lost for a little. The mountain was so beautiful in the fog and the trees provided enough coverage so we didn’t get that wet. Make sure to take Five Oaks Trail to the top for the most beautiful scenery. From the summit, we took the main trail down because it was starting to rain harder. The hike took about 3 hours or so, we stopped for pictures and breaks. Kind of slippery going uphill in the mud, but it wasn’t so bad with boots. Parking is super easy, just park along Farmer’s Rd. Looking forward to going back on a sunny day to see those views!

Ok this was by far the most difficult hike to find but that shows what a authentic nature hike it is. The hike was not that difficult. I would say medium difficulty level due to incline and the fear of mountain lions. None spotted during our hike though just some snakes crossing the path.

This is a real nice serene preserve, not well traveled or overcrowded busy.
I saw a wild turkey twice, but no other animals (thank goodness, no snakes, bee hives, nor any predators) other than a few birds.
The hike seemed like about 3 miles each way which is about 2 hours of leisure strolling and the grades of the hill are mild, not steep at all by my standards, and the main trail is well defined, so not easy to get lost if you stay on the path.
If I were local, I’d see this as a good go-​to place to take a nice walk for exercise.
If you look at the ground it seems there’s a lot of gold flakes in the dirt like the 1800’s Gold Rush, but I think it’s probably residual pyrite, iron sulfide a.k.a. fool’s gold.
It’s easy to park and get in and out of.

When people say that the pictures don’t do this hike justice, it’s a total understatement. Volcan Mountain was so unbelievably beautiful I almost forgot I was in San Diego! I came up here with a group of 10 or so for a birthday hike followed by some well earned pie and it could not have turned out any better. Not only was the town of Julian only a short ride from the hike, but the views were breathtaking. While everyone else was roasting in ⁸⁰⁄₉₀ degree weather in San Diego we were sitting pretty with a high of 70 and some crisp mountain air– what a great way to escape the heat!
I didn’t know what to expect going into this hike reading mixed reviews on the difficulty level ranging from a steep climb to a «nature walk» as my boyfriend liked to call it. Well the first part was really unassuming as you walk past the wood carvings and iron art but then the real fun comes– I’d say the fist 3^rd of the hike was a pretty steep elevation gain. We were definitely pacing ourselves to keep the group together and to not wear out too soon. However, once you get through that, it’s more switchbacks and rolling hills than a treacherous climb… ok yes maybe a little dramatic but it was definitely tough at times! So there, I solved the mystery for you– it is a stroll, followed by a butt kicking climb, then a more leisurely hike and best of all downhill the whole way back. People describe different experiences because they’re different elements of the hike!
There were not a ton of hikers on the trail to where it felt busy or over populated but enough that you feel safe that others are around. People out there were SUPER nice and friendly, again not something you experience hiking in San Diego everyday. I love that this is not one of the «popular» hikes that’s overrun with rude people who take up the whole trail and genuinely don’t care if you’re trying to be out there hiking too.
BEWARE: Look out for poison oak. When we were taking five oaks trail back down the mountain, we saw TONS. You definitely need to keep an eye out and make a point to know what it looks like before you get out there. The trail is a single track so you’re pretty close to the vegetation.
All in all, the hike was wonderful and writing this review has made me want to get back out there all over again! I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for some scenery and a solid workout or just a way to offset that delicious Julian pie.

The picture I posted from this trail really does not do it justice. Two friends and i decided it was time for some fresh and open space, so zipped out here from SD at lunchtime one Saturday. To my great surprise there were no more than half a dozen other cars parked at the trailhead. I guess it was windy and January, but the nonetheless it was a sunny clear day and this is not what I expect of hikes near San Diego. We chose to go up the fire road to the summit then return down the Five Oaks Trail (the two rejoin near the bottom). I’ll be honest and say it was not an easy hike… not incredibly tough, but there’s a whole lot of up on the way up, perhaps around 1300 feet, which was enough to get the heart going. However, the trail is smooth and pleasant to walk on, and you get frequent glimpses of mountains and desert around you through gaps in the trees. About a mile from the top there’s a choice to return back down the Five Oaks Trail or to press on to the summit. It’d gotten pretty windy and a bit on the chilly side, and being SD residents we had of course turned up in shorts and t-​shirt. Nonetheless, there was no way we were going to miss the views from the top having already hiked a third of the way, so on we pressed. And absolutely it was worth it! Once you reach the top you can see the mountains all around, the Pacific, the Anza Borrego and Salton Sea. Fantastic! Having enjoyed a couple of sandwiches we set out back down, taking the alternative route back to the trailhead. This turned out to be the highlight. You drop down onto the East of the peak. It’s steeper going and more rocky, and really shows you just how far you climbed up; you can see right down into the valley with the wineries and their vines all lined up below you, and the sun beginning to set behind the mountains. I would definitely recommend saving this for the return leg.
I really enjoyed this hike and in 2.5 hrs total we really only did see the occupants of those other half a dozen cars. Everyone was friendly and passed the time of day with us. On a practical side, we were three reasonably active adults and were tired afterwards. The trail is dog friendly, and we met a couple of well-​behaved hounds out there. There were no restrooms or water available, and the only trashcan was at the base so pack in and out. Parking was street-​side but not problematic. The drive out is maybe 1.5 hours and parts are quite scenic. The trailhead is no more than 10 minutes from Julian (meaning you can grab pie to refuel before heading home!!). And, most importantly, there were a handful of very nice benches to stop on and enjoy the vistas!

Very nice getaway hike. No complaints, just felt like more of a stroll (despite the several steep areas I cursed myself for being inconsistent on my fitness and being out of breath). Beautiful scenery overall, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something just didn’t make it awesome amazing to me for a 5 star, but I think solid 4.5 and do recommend :)

I have hiked all over Julian as I used to live there. This is one of my favorite hikes because of the variety of terrain and foliage you will encounter.
The views are magnificent.
Be sure to take the right turn to the Five Oaks Trail to the top. From this portion of the grind up you will be able to view Menginni Winery below which will be your reward back should you decide to do a wine tasting!
This Is not an easy hike, but not too difficult and well worth the effort.
If you go in September be sure to grab a few over hanging apples from your free parking on Farmer Road.
Take Interstate 8 East for about 35 miles, then turn north onto CA-​79 following signs thru Cuyamaca Rancho State Park towards Julian. When you arrive in downtown Julian, go north from town on Farmer Road about 2.2 miles. Turn right on Wynola Road for about 100 yards, then turn left, back onto the continuation of Farmer Road. Proceed 100 yards more, turn right and park in the area and the end of the road by the preserve sign.

Love this place. I came here with some hiking buddies for 3/​15, the day after Pi Day to first get our nature-​feels than to scarf on Julian Pie. The whole excursion was really enjoyable.
We came before April so unfortunately the trail to the peak was not open yet. I plan on coming back though. The rest of the hike was awesome. There are some pretty intense inclines but they won’t kill you. We took the Volcan Trail to the mid-​summit than the Five Oaks Trail back. I liked both trails but I found it really cool to see what Poison Oak really looks like (didn’t hug it or anything). There were not many people using this trail so it was pretty cool because I don’t like crowded trails much.
I’ve hiked most of the popular trails in SD and I’d have to say that I’m ranking this among the top.
It’s just the kinda trail that makes you smile, ya know?

Plenty parking along the street.
I would only come here to hike if I were visiting Julian. That being said, I haven’t hiked anywhere else in Julian so I couldn’t compare this trail to others. However, it’s a good workout and the 5 Oaks Trail offers more shade on a sunny day than the mail trail. It’s ~5−6 miles roundtrip if you want to hike to the summit, otherwise you can rest on a metal bench on the 5 Oaks trail or a low stone wall bench further ahead at a view point.

Great hike about 3 mile round trip. As u walk up you can take a detour that’s more secluded up to top of mountain summit that is tree lined and more intimate trail. U can cut back down the main trail road for short cut back down to bottom. Bring enough water to hydrate and trail is dog friendly as long as they are on leashes. Trail is clearly marked and easy to follow. Not too far from main town of Julian.

Came here on a strange rainy summer day for some time off and reflection.
It was a beautiful trail and perfect for what I needed. Warning– it’s mostly all uphill, but I’m down (er… up?) with that.
Lots of oak, chapparal, and most of all, views! You can see out to San Diego and the ocean on a clear day, and when it’s not, you can see the clouds rolling through the hills at your eye level.
Only made it through the 5 oaks part of the trail, thought i should turn around after that (i was the only one on the trail that day) (yes i know, never hike alone… well I’m alive).
Will be back to get to the very top next time!