Battle Mountain - Peak #34 - A Colorful Past in Rancho Bernardo
Battle Mountain
Elevation: 803′
Mileage: .42
Trailhead: Reata Way
Agency: Battle Mountain Open Space Park (City of San Diego)
Dates Hiked: 04/23/2010, 04/23/2017
Peakbagger.com Page
For those interested, here is a list of my gear that I have found works well for me. This is, of course, an affiliate link and your enjoyment of these may vary:
04/23/2010
Finding time to get to the trail has been hard to come by of late. This particular peak's trail is short enough to be completed during a lunch break, if one worked nearby. If you've driven the 15 freeway in eastern San Diego, especially at night, you've probably noticed this peak, as it has a giant white cross on it, with lights shining upward once it gets dark.
Battle Mountain Cross
I talk about the history of the cross in the video below, so I won't restate it here, other than to say that the San Pasqual area has some interesting history attached to it and the mountain is named after a battle that took place not far from it in the 1800's. I've seen people referring to a hill just to the north in San Pasqual Valley as Mule Hill, but the book San Diego County Place Names A-Z states that Battle Mountain was once called Mule Hill.
Update: Mule Hill, a little to the north, was the site where of Kearny and his men ate mules to stay alive. Battle Hill, the subject of this post, is theorized to be the site of indigenous tribal warfare between local and Yuma tribes. A historical market near Battle Hill discussing Mule Hill has led to much confusion over the years.
Lake Hodges, Del Dios, and Bernardo Mountains from Battle Mountain
San Pasqual Valley from Battle Mountain
Snow on Palomar Mountain from Battle Mountain
It took me a whopping 5 minutes of hiking to get to the top of this peak and 2-3 minutes to get down. This is a great hill if you need to do some repeats for conditioning and you live nearby.
The view is pretty good, especially into the San Pasqual Valley area and westward to Lake Hodges.
I searched for a geocache in the area but did not find it before I had to make my way down.
Battle Mountain Trail Map
Update: I was able to visit this peak again with my daughter in 2017, exactly 7 years later to the day.
Soph heading up on a warm day
