Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Today’s Monday Morning Meditation video is from the Eastside Trail. Enjoy.

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are herd animals and gather together for protection from predators. How many mule deer do you see in this photo?

Today’s Monday Morning Meditation is of an early morning in Cuyamaca. Enjoy.

There are many accounts of how gold was discovered in the Cuyamacas. The most reliable one is from Leland Fetzer’s The Cuyamacas. According to Dr. Fetzer, The Cuyamaca gold mining boom...began in January 1870 or late 1869 when Frederick (Fred) Coleman discovered placer gold in a seasonal stream named for him... Mr. Coleman was a former slave who had been born in Kentucky. His discovery of gold in the Cuyamacas led to huge changes in San Diego’s back country. Photo: reproduction of a miner’s cabin.#blackhistorymonth#africanamericanhistorymonth

Our state bird, California quail (Callipepla californica) enjoy cool damp mornings and can often be seen eating in open areas of Cuyamaca.

Come and work at your favorite park! Call the number on the flyer for more information.

Today’s Monday Morning Meditation video is somewhere along the Sweetwater River. Enjoy.

If you are looking for it is ALMOST MELTED and where you can find it the is mainly ice. Why not take a hike in a less congested area of the park instead? This photo is from the West Mesa Trail. Wide open spaces, great views and fewer people are what await you when you choose this less travelled trail in the park. #ChooseYourCuyamacaAdventure.

It’s a warm winter day in the park. The skies are clear and the is melting fast. The best snow is at the top of Cuyamaca Peak. PARKING AT PASO PICACHO IS ALREADY FULL. Snow play is limited to icy patches scattered by the lake and meadow areas. This photo is of Stonewall Peak from the Cold Spring Trail. This less travelled trail will provide you with a great hike without all the people in the areas with snow.#ChooseYourCuyamacaAdventure.

On today’s Wandering and Wondering in Cuyamaca we talk about the Monument Trail, another of the park’s less travelled trails. This is the best time of the year to explore this area with an added point of interest being the airplane monument from the early days of aviation that is waiting at the end of this hike. This is another great choice for your Cuyamaca Adventure.

Winter is the time for clouds over Cuyamaca and they provide visual interest to our mountain landscape. What type of clouds do you like to see while you hike in the park?

With the warmer weather in the mountains the snow has been melting quickly. Expect what snow that is left to be icy and only in the higher elevations of Cuyamaca.

This morning’s Monday Morning Meditation is something different. The video was taken from the montane sector of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park over looking the desert of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Enjoy.

Paso Picacho Campground will remain off of reservations until April 1st. Walk-ups will be allowed pending weather conditions.

Cuyamaca had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer and Heath of Rogue Detection Teams with their scat sniffing dogs. It made for a great first day of 2021. Check them out on Facebook at Rogue Detection Teams to learn more about what they do and how they do it. We hope you enjoy this video. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Everyone! The beginning of 2021 is here and with it an opportunity to hike a Trail Less Travelled. This time the video is of the Cold Spring Trail. Hiking in this area is great at this time of year and is another area of Cuyamaca to explore away from crowds.

Today’s video if from the Stonewall Creek Fire Road. It is another of the Trails Less Travelled in Cuyamaca. This is a great time of year to hike in the more open areas of the park.

With Halloween fast approaching Interpreter Carmen channeled her inner mule deer while Interpreter Michele channeled her inner Sir David Attenborough (apologies to Sir David). Next Saturday there will be a Virtual Halloween celebration. Check the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Facebook page to get the details. Keep safe everyone.

Today’s Monday Morning Meditation from Cuyamaca is about fall light. We hope you enjoy this video.

When you work for California State Parks you never know what the day will bring. A presenter may ask you to hold her african rock scorpion to show it to park visitors. If you are interested in joining the parks family go to www.LiveTheParksLife.com for current job openings with California State Parks.

This month we are going to have a blue moon. For those of you who may not know what that means, it is the second full moon of the month. So go out side and watch the moon as it waxes into a full moon on Halloween.

Today’s bonus meditation is of the beauty of rocks. Enjoy.

The Monday Morning Meditation in Cuyamaca is by the Sweetwater River this morning. We hope you enjoy the video.

¡Bienvenidos! #CuyamacaRanchoStatePark te invite a celebrar #NationalHispanicHeritageMonth y conectate con la #naturaleza y tu familia en zone Pristina death las sierras delta Condado de San Diego. Welcome! #CuyamacaRanchoStatePark welcomes you to celebrate #NationalHispanicHeritageMonth and connect with #nature and your family at #SanDiego County's slice of the sierras.

Even the alligator lizards get into fall. Look at the colors this guy is wearing. This alligator lizard stopped by the park offices and was gently relocated to the outdoors. That way he can continue to eat insects that can pester park visitors and make the park a better place.

Crab spiders are ambush hunters that wait for prey to come near enough for them to grab and eat. They can also change color to match the background so they are more effective hunters. Please treat spiders kindly. They eat tons of pests and help keep us from being overrun by creepy crawlies. This crab spider looks like it wants a hug.

A quick heads up: The Temporary Fire Ban is lifted! Campfires are now allowed in Paso Picacho and Green Valley campgrounds.

When it's quiet in Cuyamaca what is there to see? At this time of the year, if you can find water, look at the patterns that the water makes as it moves over rocks, sand, leaves, etc. It is soothing and can provide a moment of calm during these stressful times.

The Monday Morning Meditation video takes place by a small creek that still has water in it. Remember water is precious especially at this time of year.

The thinking chair...