Mount Calavera

Mount Calaveras, as see from one of the trail heads.

The Quarry

Mount Calavera, Carlsbad, California
Last eruption about 29 million year ago, of this volcano all that remains today is the plug. The plug is what is left after a volcano becomes extinct and the hard material that came through the volcano's vent remained after the softer outer materials eroded away. This Volcano is one of the smallest in North America.
The mount has a quarry in its west side that was used from the early 1900's to later 1930's, for gravel. It gives the mountain a distinctive appearance when seen from nearby roads. The excavated pit exposes the inner throat of the now dead volcano. Look closely and you can see examples of columnar jointing.
There is another example of a volcanic plug in Jacumba, right off of Hwy 8 can be spotted Round Mountain.

Nearby to the quarry can be found a small cave, I have heard it call an exploratory mine, from what I see of the size of it and the entrance supports it almost looks like storage, possibly for explosives. You can see where the entrance was sealed off, but bypass later by digging around the blocked off entry.

On top of mountain are scattered memorial to love ones. Here is one.

Another above the quarry is festooned with shells and other offerings and has the name Lalas Garden

From above rock mazes can be observed within the vegetation in front of the Quarry.

I apologize for not give out directions to most of my trips, trails change and I do not have the time to keep the site updated. My hikes also span from the easy to the extreme, a lot of places do not even have trails, as well as extreme conditions. Some sites need to be protected as they are fragile and historically sensitive. So if you decide to hike some of these areas, do your research and know your limits, have the proper provisions .Every year many hikers die from not understanding these Simple Rules. San Diego County and surrounding areas are diverse in climate and terrain. Remember if you do decide to Hike do your research, carry the essentials and do so at your own risk. An alternative is to join one of the many hiking groups such as meetup or on facebook ,as well as other social sites. Not only is there safety in numbers but a pooling of knowledge.

​Mount Calavera

Mount Calavera