Hike of the week: Enjoy views from a fire lookout point in Palomar Mountain State Park

I keep a list of “hikes to do” on my desk, written on a fading sticky note. Taped down at the corners, it’s been there long enough that it feels like a permanent fixture among my work supplies.

It holds the must-do hikes, at least for me, in San Diego County — and slowly but surely I’m crossing them off for this column: Mount Woodson, Stonewall Peak, trails in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This week, I finally made it to another one: Palomar Mountain State Park, a spot I had visited as a kid but had no real memories of.

I was slightly dreading the hike. The drive from my home in central San Diego to Palomar Mountain, in the northeastern corner of the county, takes about an hour and a half, and I knew I would need to wake up early to complete the lengthy hike I had planned.

But as my partner and I drove up to the state park on the steep and winding South Grade Road, I could see that we were in for a treat. The park sits about 5,000 feet above sea level, and towering pine, fir and cedar trees line its trails and roads. You could compare it to the Laguna Mountains or Cuyamaca Mountain State Park, but I’d personally say it’s in a league of its own in San Diego County.

It feels grander and more secluded, and — like most great hiking areas — is more than just an item to cross off a list.

I ultimately completed about 10 miles in the park, but for this column, I’m going to break up my large hike into several smaller ones over the coming weeks so hikers can fully appreciate the park’s different trails. This week’s hike will focus on a roughly 3.5-mile moderate loop that takes hikers to Boucher Hill and through the mountain’s shady forests.

Note that there is a $10 day use fee to enter the state park. Consider consulting a trail map before and during your hike. There are also signs posted along the trails that help give hikers a sense of direction.

To begin, park in the lot at the Silvercrest Picnic Area within the state park. Walk northwest on the paved State Park Road until it meets Boucher Road. At the intersection, hikers will find the Boucher Trailhead.

The trail gradually ascends the hillside before leveling out. Around the 1-mile mark, hikers will come to Boucher Hill and the historic Boucher Hill fire lookout tower at an elevation of about 5,400 feet.

The lookout tower is fully functioning and is staffed from May through November. It can be open to the public, so be sure to check before you go. Otherwise, there’s an observation deck to the side of the tower that gives visitors a great view to the southwest.

Continue on the Boucher Trail as it descends along the mountain’s western side, heading north. At 2 miles, you’ll reach the Nate Harrison Grade, a wide dirt road, and the Boucher Trail ends. On the other side of the road, hikers will pick up the Adams Trail, and follow it for about 0.8 miles until it ends at the Cedar Grove Group Campground.

I continued on for a longer hike, but for this shorter version, find the Scott’s Cabin Trail on the eastern side of the campground, and follow it south for about half a mile, then southwest before it connects with the Silvercrest Picnic Area where you began.