The Weir
5 Reviews
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Hello everyone! This is a friendly reminder that any of these fun places we may visit, we are a guest at. Please treat both businesses and trails with the utmost respect. We here at Hidden San Diego follow the 'Leave no Trace' mantra, meaning whatever you bring with you comes back with you. If you see trash on a trail, please do your part to help remove it. Remember, we are not picking up trash from another person but instead cleaning up for Mother Nature. Happy adventures!
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Doane Valley Campground
Palomar Mountain, CA 92060
Phone: (760) 742-3462
33.341743, -116.901397
Hike: 3 miles round trip   Level: Easy
Dog-Friendly: No   Kid-Friendly: Yes
Parking: $8 for all day pass into the park
CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE ON ALL THEÂ HIDDEN GEMS ON PALOMAR MOUNTAINÂ FOR AN AMAZING DAY TRIP!
About the Weir Hiking Trail
The Weir Trail is a three-mile trail that starts at the Doane Pond parking lot at the same trailhead as Doane Valley nature trail.
The trail is fairly level, with only a 100 ft elevation gain/loss and follows along Doane creek underneath forest growth before it opens out into views of the lower Doane meadow and continues to the Weir historic site.
Personal Experience
Each hike I do in Palomar I fall deeper in love. I was amazed with how similar Palomar Mtn. is to my favorite area, Big Sur! You can learn more about Big Sur under our Hidden CA site. The only main difference between the two is the lack of an ocean in Palomar.
This specific trail takes you to the old, historical weir. Visiting the weir is only a minor part of the whole hike. I believe you will enjoy every step you take out here.
While you’re in the area, make sure to hike the French Valley Trail nearby!
You are surrounded by a lush forest with a multitude of plant species, fresh air, wild animals and oh so many interesting things to see! The weir is a small, stone hut and really not much to explore, although very interesting-looking and makes for some good photos. Depending on how much rainfall we’ve had will determine how large the river will be which is right below it.
Also, check out this amazing list of all the plants that grow on this hike! http://tchester.org/sd/plants/guides/palomar/weir_loop.html
The weir was built to measure the water flow. They were hoping a hydroelectric dam could be built there to provide electricity for the mountain but there was never enough water to fulfill this project.
These photos were taken during 3 different trips to the weir. You will get an idea of what the area looks like throughout the year!
Wild rose:
We found it!
There have been mountain lion sightings out here and I am pretty positive we found our own evidence as well:
Black Witch’s Butter:
The inside of this tree forms the shape of a star where the branches grow out of:
Here is a video Santino Romeri made of our trip January 2016:
Faze Rug
guys DO NOT GO HERE!!! Its really creepy and dangerous!
September 13, 2017
Anonymous
Went here today and was interested in the house on of the weir. Thanks for posting this and nice pictures!
November 26, 2018
Anonymous
iron springs used to be a deep blue green pool , with a wellhead and an orange circle around it .
November 6, 2019
Anonymous
Beautiful pictures!
January 19, 2020
Vanessa Duran
Took the weir trail today and couldn’t find it anywhere!
August 22, 2021