Love Valley Meadow

We spent Jan. 2, 2009 roaming around Palomar Mountain and took on two hikes. In the early afternoon we walked around Doane Pond and a pet-friendly road in Palomar Mountain State Park. After lunch, we headed down the mountain and stopped off at Love Valley Meadow in Cleveland National Forest for a quick hike before sunset.

• Trail: Love Valley Meadow
  
• Location: on Palomar Mountain, in Cleveland National Forest
  
• Length: 2 miles out and 2 miles back
  
• Hike time: 1.5 hours
  
• Terrain: nice, rambling country road
  
• Path visibility: very clearly marked road
  
• Difficulty: easy
  
• Cost: free
  
• Highlight destination: walking through the meadow
  
• Beware: there is not a formal parking lot, just a pull-off spot on highway 76
  

We had already had a great day hiking on Palomar Mountain in the state park, but after lunch we looked at the clock & though we might be able to get one more hike in before sunset.

We decided on picturesque Love Valley Meadow, on the fringe of Cleveland National Forest, as our departing hike on our way down the mountain back to the city.

The trail was really just a rambling country road, taking you a bit down the mountain into one of many of the higher (relatively speaking!) valleys.

Along the way we had plenty of spectacular views of Lake Henshaw in the valley below. Coincidentally, when we actually drove next to the lake after leaving Palomar Mountain we remarked how much bigger it looked close up.

There were plenty of sights to take in on this light hike. Looking over the ridge into the valley, you could see boulders standing out like headstones surrounded by greenery. The rocks themselves were just amazing, and I for one was happy to not have to scale rocks for once this week!

There seems to be a good deal of animal life in the valley. The official inhabitants were the cattle grazing in the meadow, but we also spotted what we decided were elk prints in the dirt.

After rounding Lake Henshaw, the road comes to a fork. Heading right will take you to a barn & grazing that livestock I just mentioned. We went left, to continue along in the meadow. This was by far my favorite part of the hike.

It was a nice rolling meadow, which inspired lots of conversation about the "olden days" before there were roads & malls everywhere. I might have made a little joke that Love Valley was far from Fashion Valley (my personal favorite mall in San Diego), but I'm not going to admit that here. It is easy to imagine what life was like 100 or more years ago when you are walking around this meadow.

The many trees, all shaped in such a way that just invites you to either sit on the elephant trunk like branches that swoop down or have a picnic beneath one of the many tall oaks, were also notable. Coming to our own personal turnaround point, a crest where the lake beneath was once again revealed, we had a nice view as the last bits of sunlight streamed through the trees.

Love Valley makes me think of of summer, but in reading up on it I get the impression that it might be too hot and too many bugs to really enjoy it during those months. Everything I've read said Love Valley is to be enjoyed best during the spring - when the meadow is green, the lake is full after a winter of rain and snow, & the flowers are just starting to bloom. There was also a note about the cool evenings keeping away the crawly things in there somewhere.

After our short hike there, though, I can't help but feel that whenever you go to Love Valley Meadow, you will have a wonderful time. Take your time, a book, a picnic, whatever - but definitely take a friend.


Tipped off: Schad's Afoot & Afield San Diego County.