Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
City: San Marcos
Hike length: 3.2 miles
Estimated duration: 2 hours
Elevation Gain/Loss – 1200 ft.
Difficulty: Moderate
So during the last hike they said (my sister and our friend) that if I can do this hike (Mt Woodson) that I can do the other hikes easily. I contemplated for a few days on if I wanted to go this time around. I figured I would but I was just feeling blah that week. So my sister texts me saying that if I don’t go hiking Saturday, I won’t be able to go with them to Daiso on Sunday. That little….whatever *rolls eyes…like I can’t go any other time…stupid little thing haha but whatever I agreed to go hiking. I don’t know about the hike length being 3.2 miles or it being about 2 hours. There are off trails here and there that would make the trail way longer. Everyone estimated we hiked about 8 miles. We also hiked for more than 3 1/2 hours. Which, we didn’t plan because most of us were running out of water. I didn’t read up on the hike prior, I just went with it. However, there is also a scary story surrounding this area. The Legend of Questhaven:
A woman in white with brightly glowing red eyes, a 10 foot tall owl that will murder the passengers of a vehicle, spirits of slaughtered turn of the century gypsies and 9,000 year old Diegueno Indians, all make for some scary legends on their own. Add all of these to the rumors of a burned down insane asylum with escaped inmates in the middle of a tree shrouded forest and you have the Legend of Questhaven. Ask any teenager who grew up in Coastal North County of San Diego before the 21st Century and you will hear about their own experiences during a spooky night out in Elfin Forrest, also known as Questhaven.
This incline is a lot steeper than it looks…like knees to chest
The trail was very scenic and beautiful. I really enjoyed it, we even saw some people riding their horses on the trail. Which, on the way back had to avoid lots of poo ahaha! The only thing I EXTREMELY dislike about hiking is whatever the reason, we swell up and get puffy. Talk about not wanting to do photo ops UGH
