HIKE:🥾👣🧭🎒 WARRIOR HIKE CHALLENGE - El Capitan 6:30AM-4PM (2/6 or 12 miles)

There are several levels to this challenge. Participants can choose their own adventure, navigating the length of trail that matches their individual interest and ability.

• Boot Camp: 2-miles, moderate
• Recon: 6+ miles, moderate
• Warrior: 11+ miles, difficult

County Parks’ Warrior Hike Challenge launched in 2015 as a way to celebrate the athleticism and mental stamina that’s required to climb what’s arguably the toughest hike in San Diego County – El Cajon Mountain in the El Capitan County Preserve.
El Capitan is popular among active and retired military personnel. So we designed an event that could "wow" and challenge them as well as their friends and family.
Warrior Hike Challenges take place twice a year on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day weekends.
By breaking the hike into three levels, participants can choose their own adventure; navigating the length of trail that matches their individual interest and ability.
Celebration stations sit at the 1-mile and 3-mile turnaround points.
Extreme hikers will push their limits to climb to the summit for a 12-mile trek through the scenic, undulating preserve.
Events are free and no RSVP or check-in required due to this temporary new format. All ages were welcome.
Hikers should bring ample water (1+ gallons for Warriors), and wear sturdy hiking boots. Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a walking stick or poles are also recommended.
Healthy refreshments are available at celebration stations, including the staging area at the base of the preserve, located of Wildcat Canyon Road at 13775 Blue Sky Ranch Road in Lakeside.

The parking area and trailhead are located at the intersection of Wildcat Canyon Road and Blue Sky Ranch Road. Take Highway 67 north. Turn right at Willow Road. Turn left at Wildcat Canyon Road. Turn right at Blue Sky Ranch Road.

Please note the following:
KNOW YOUR LIMITS.
Our organizers are not tour guides, we're not rangers. Going out with us is the same as going out with a few friends. Expect the same risks, take the same precautions.
As organizers, we will do our best to give accurate descriptions of the hikes we post.
If you're a beginning hiker, a hike's elevation and distance may not mean much to you. Likewise, difficulty ratings are subjective, and a hike that is "easy" to one person may be "moderate" to another.
Err on the side of caution.
You're much better off going on a hike that's too easy for you than a hike that's too hard or too dangerous for you. As you go on more hikes with us, you'll become more familiar with our ratings and our descriptions, and you'll learn more about your own limits.
Ultimately, it's up to you to keep yourself safe out there.