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Garnet Peak Trail

Part of Hiking Trails, our guide to hiking trails across San Diego County, from city peaks to desert canyons.

Garnet Peak Trail is a hiker-only summit trail in the Laguna Mountains with viewpoints at 6,000 feet. The Forest Service lists a 1.2 mile out-and-back from the Pacific Crest Trail via Penny Pines, or 2.2 miles round trip from the Garnet Peak trailhead. It warns the trail is extremely rocky.Checked October 23, 2026.

1.2 miout-and-back from Penny Pines
2.2 miround trip from Garnet Peak trailhead
6,000 ftviewpoints
AccessGarnet Peak Rd. and Penny Pines access points, Sunrise Highway near mile marker 27.8
Fees“Penny Pines parking is now free of charge” per this page; the Big Laguna page says $5/vehicle/day (conflict)
Difficulty“An intense workout” with an “aggressive incline”; no formal rating
Who it suitsHikers only; adults and strong older kids
DogsNot mentioned
Official pageCleveland National Forest page (updated January 23, 2026)

Climb Details

The Forest Service warns “this trail is extremely rocky, with loose gravel and potential hazards.” Two routes are listed: 1.2 mile out-and-back from the PCT via Penny Pines, or 2.2 miles round trip from the Garnet Peak trailhead. Fire danger on the Forest Service page banner read “High” on 2026-10-23.

Parking Fees

This page says Penny Pines parking is free. The Big Laguna page says $5 per vehicle per day, and the Sunset and Noble pages say an Adventure Pass is required. We show all of them; the Forest Service can confirm the current fee.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Elevation gain and dog rule are not confirmed. Cleveland National Forest, Descanso Ranger District, can confirm.
  • Parking fee conflicts between Forest Service trail pages (free versus $5 versus Adventure Pass).
  • Coordinates are not confirmed.

More in Hiking Trails

FAQ

Is Garnet Peak a hard hike?

The Forest Service calls it an intense workout with an aggressive incline, and warns of loose gravel.

Sources

  1. Cleveland National Forest: Garnet Peak Trail

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.