California · Hiking · San Mateo Canyon Wilderness · Near Fallbrook

San Mateo

San MateoPhoto: theforestprimeval, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
15.4 mi
round trip
981 ft
climb
1,321 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Oct–May
best months

Is San Mateo open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Cleveland National Forest. It doesn't name San Mateo, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Cleveland National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

San Mateo is a 15.4-mile out-and-back hike in the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness, part of the Trabuco Ranger District of Cleveland National Forest in California. The trail rises from a low point of 725 feet to a high of 1,321 feet, with a total elevation gain of 981 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surface, not accessible, and allows horses but not bikes. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Elsinore show April highs around 76°F and November highs around 73°F, while July and August average in the upper 90s. The trail sits within a cluster of climbing and hiking. Upper Tenaja Boulder and Tenaja Falls are both about half a mile away, and Fisherman's Camp Trail is about 1.2 miles off. Wildomar Campground, roughly 3.8 miles away, is the closest place to camp.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Fisherman's Camp

    Campground

    Campground · 1.7 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    The Corner Post

    Restaurant

    Open after 6
  • If it rainsLeonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    WWII/Korea LVT Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 23 mi from Fallbrook

    Military museum in California, USA

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in Fallbrook

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.