A dog-friendly day trip: San Diego to Julian

Julian is a favorite day out from San Diego: a drive into the mountains, a small town, and a change of air. Bringing your dog makes it better, as long as you know where a dog is welcome. This post covers the stops we have on our map along the way, what the rules say at each, and, just as honestly, what we don't know yet.

Before you go

Bring water and a bowl, bags, and a six-foot leash, which works under every rule on this route. The weather in the mountains and the inland valleys can be very different from the coast's, so check Julian's forecast before you leave.

Stop 1: Poway Dog Park

If your dog needs to run before the drive, Poway Dog Park is a good first stop. It sits in the southwest corner of Poway Community Park, at 13094 Civic Center Drive, with three fenced areas, each with water and benches. Dogs may be off leash inside the fences. Walk them in on a leash. It is open daily from sunrise to 10 p.m.¹

Stop 2: Mount Woodson Trail, for the ambitious

From Lake Poway, the Mount Woodson Trail climbs 2.4 miles to the peak, with about 2,000 feet of elevation gain, steep terrain and little shade. The City of Poway's rule on its trails is short: dogs must be leashed at all times. Its trail tips also list drinking water for your dog.²

This is a hard hike for people and dogs alike. On a warm day, save it for another trip or turn back early. A shorter, flatter walk is the Lake Poway Trail, a 4.9-mile loop around the lake that you can shorten by starting at the south end and turning back at the dam.²

Stop 3: Clevenger Canyon, on the Highway 78 side

If you take Highway 78 through the San Pasqual Valley, the City of San Diego's San Pasqual - Clevenger Canyon Open Space Park is on the way. Its parking lots are open from sunrise to sunset. The city calls the north trailhead the more challenging side, and notes that the trail is poorly marked and overgrown in places.⁴ Dogs are welcome on a leash no longer than eight feet, which the city applies to trails and canyons in all its parks.³

Ramona Grasslands: probably, but check

East of Poway, the Ramona Grasslands County Preserve has easy loop trails. Our map shows the Wildflower Loop and the Meadow Loop as leashed, based on the trail tags in OpenStreetMap. County parks require a leash up to six feet where dogs are allowed,⁶ but the county's page for the preserve doesn't say whether dogs are allowed,⁵ so treat our answer as unconfirmed until we've seen a sign.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park: mostly no

If you come back by Highway 79 and Interstate 8, you pass through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. California State Parks allows dogs there only in the campgrounds and on designated paved park roads.⁷ That leaves out most trails. Our map marks the Azalea Glen Trail as no dogs.

Julian itself: what we don't know

Here is the honest part. We don't yet have a single place in or right around Julian on our map: no parks, trails or dog areas with a rule we can show you. That doesn't mean there are none. It means we haven't confirmed any yet. We also don't cover shops, cafés or patios, so whether your dog can come inside or sit with you at lunch is up to each business. Ask before you go in. Julian is in the unincorporated county, where the county's leash law applies: away from home, a hand-held leash no longer than six feet.⁸

If you find a spot in Julian that welcomes dogs, and especially if you see a posted sign, tell us with Suggest a missing place in the app. That is how places get onto the map.

A simple plan

1. Leave early and let your dog run at Poway Dog Park.
2. If you are both up for it, hike part of Mount Woodson or walk around Lake Poway, leashed.
3. Drive up to Julian for a stroll around town, with your dog on a leash.
4. Come back by Highway 78 and stretch your legs at Clevenger Canyon before dark.

The place cards above always show today's rule. Rules change, and the signs on the ground are the final word, so check posted signs.